Fire and Ice
by Raphael Comet
Summary: A story about when Koko Stormare and Yuri von Lucatile first met and eventually began dating. Hijinks ensue as they try to figure out how exactly they are going to continue with their relationship together. Yuri and Koko are OCs from D&D sessions I was in.
1. The Knight in Shining Armor

**===== Chapter 1 =====**

**The Knight in Shining Armor**

Yuri snapped out of her daydream as she saw a small village in the distance. She felt her stomach rumble slightly and decided it was as good a place as any to stop for some food. When she reached the town, she looked for somewhere to eat and found a local tavern. She made her way over and went inside. As soon as she stepped inside, a local townsperson came frantically storming in behind her.

"A wyvern! A wyvern is attacking!" said the frantic townsperson before leaving the tavern to find safety elsewhere.

Yuri stood dumbfounded, unsure of what was going on. "A _what_ is attacking?" she asked to the people in the tavern.

Suddenly, Yuri heard more screaming coming from outside followed by a thunderous roar. She then looked to the door and opened it to see what was happening while the tavern patrons began panicking. Down the road, she saw a wyvern heading towards the village, spraying fire all around. It screeched again as it directed its attention towards the tavern where she stood. Yuri was about to head back indoors until everyone that was already inside came bursting through the door, knocking her down as they fled for their lives. After she was able to prop herself on her hands and knees, she looked up to see the wyvern heading straight for her. She froze in place, unable to move her body as fear flooded every part of her being.

As the creature came within fifty feet of her, a large fireball came hurling towards it from above, striking it right in the face. The bright flash of light from the fire broke Yuri out of her temporary paralysis, allowing her to stand back up. As she did, a knight in armor came jumping down from on top of the overhang she was under, drawing her sword and putting herself between Yuri and the creature.

"Knights of the Sacred Fire, kill the bloody beast!" said the female knight as three more knights came out and surrounded the wyvern.

Yuri remained under the tavern's overhang, watching as the knights engaged the beast in combat. The female knight, which Yuri figured launched the fireball from before, seemed to be in command of the unit as she gave orders to the other three knights while they fought. They appeared to have the upper hand, managing to disable the creature's wings and depriving it of its ability to fly; however, it only seemed to make the wyvern angrier as it lashed out in an unpredictable rage. It swung its tail and caught two of the knights off guard as they were knocked unconscious by the blow. As the female knight looked to her downed comrades, the wyvern turned to the other remaining knight and used its wounded wings to blow him off his feet. The knight couldn't stand up to the intense gusts of wind and was blown backwards, hitting his head which knocked him out.

Finding herself as the last one standing, the female knight prepared to end the fight before any more casualties happened. She readied her sword as she faced the wyvern one-on-one. The beast stared her down, smoke emanating from its nostrils as embers seeped through its sharp teeth. Yuri continued to spectate the fight from off to the side, afraid to make any sudden movements to escape while the wyvern was still active. As she was watching, she noticed the wyvern begin to ready itself for a large fire-breath attack. The odd thing was, the female knight didn't seem to be worried and stood her ground. She didn't even have a shield or a helmet to protect her from the fire; she was totally exposed in the middle of the road. If she was killed, then there'd be no one left to defeat the wyvern and Yuri wasn't in the business of butting heads with large, dangerous beasts.

Just as the wyvern was about to let out a large breath of fire at the female knight, Yuri sighed with extreme displeasure and decided to act against her better judgement. She jumped out from behind cover and tackled the knight, pushing her out of the way just as the fire engulfed the spot they were just at. The fire singed Yuri's cloak as she fell to the ground along with the knight. She then winced in pain from spraining an ankle on the way down.

"You idiot! Stay out of this!" said the female knight as she quickly got back on her feet. She was about to relocate to a better position but then noticed Yuri was injured and couldn't move. The knight sneered then held her ground, looking to the wyvern as it eyed her and Yuri. As her foe let out a frightening shriek, the knight lunged forward with her sword at the ready. She then jumped into the mouth of the beast, using her legs and left arm to keep the jaw open. With her sword in hand, she thrust her right arm straight into its mouth, piercing the wyvern's brain from the inside. As the wyvern let out its last breath, a puff of fire escaped its throat, engulfing the knight as it left its mouth.

Yuri was still crippled on the ground, watching everything unfold. She was worried that her efforts were in vain as the knight was momentarily lost in the flames, but to her surprise, the knight remained and exited the wyvern's maw unscathed. Her armor was singed and burned, but other than that, the knight seemed perfectly fine. She then climbed up on the wyvern's head and plunged her sword straight down into it to make sure it was really dead. With a satisfied sigh, she jumped down and sheathed her sword. Once everything was safe, she looked towards Yuri and walked over to her.

"Are you injured?" asked the knight, outstretching her hand to help Yuri up.

Now that everything was calm, Yuri was able to get a better look at the heroic knight that saved the day. She had short, deep-red hair and bright-orange eyes that almost seemed to burn with a certain intenseness to it. She had a light-tan skin tone and seemed to be much taller than Yuri was. Looking to the knight's gloved hand, Yuri reached out and grasped it, allowing her to help her up. She stood with most of her weight resting on her good leg, allowing pressure off the injured one.

"I seemed to have sprained my ankle," said Yuri as she winced in pain.

The knight looked to her then glanced off in the distance, looking to her fallen comrades still lying on the ground. "Here, have a seat. I'll take a look at your leg after checking on my knights," she said, helping Yuri take a seat on a bench. Once Yuri was taken care of, the knight left her to make sure her teammates were all right. She went over to the pair of knights that had been knocked out by the wyvern's tail whip and helped get them back on their feet. Other than a few scrapes and bruises, they were in good condition. The pair of knights then went to check on the third knight while the female knight with red hair returned to Yuri.

"Are your comrades okay?" asked Yuri as the female knight came to her side.

The female knight knelt down next to Yuri and began inspecting her injured leg. "They'll be fine," she said as she gently held Yuri's left leg. As she slowly began to move it, Yuri let out a whimper in pain. "What's your name, miss?" she asked as she looked up to meet Yuri's gaze.

Yuri looked back then glanced away, caught off guard by the sudden eye contact. "My name? It's- Yuri. My name is Yuri," she said.

The knight gave a nod then returned to giving Yuri some medical attention. "Well, Yuri, I just wanted to apologize for my earlier outburst. You know, back when you pushed me out of the way of the wyvern's fire. Even though the act was ultimately futile since I'm immune to fire, thinking back on it, it still wasn't an excuse to treat you the way that I did," she said, sighing as she swallowed her pride. "My name is Koko, Specialist Koko Stormare of the Order of the Sacred Fire. And, as a knight, I can't leave without repaying the selfless act, especially if it caused an injury on my behalf. Though, it really wasn't necessary for you to do that in the first place," she said as she carefully took off Yuri's boot and half-chap.

Yuri blushed slightly from the embarrassment, keeping her gaze locked elsewhere rather than on Koko. "Oh, well- I'm sorry for causing you such an inconvenience," she said.

Koko held up a hand to put Yuri at ease. "Don't worry; what's done is done. So, where you live? I'll help you back home so I can continue tending to your injury until it's completely healed," she said as she began wrapping Yuri's ankle in a bandage.

Looking down to Koko, Yuri paused, remembering why she was there in the first place. "I live in the city of Yoitz, but I was actually on my way to Patsio for a book signing. I would really still like to attend if I can," she said as Koko finished wrapping the bandage.

"Patsio, huh? That's at least a three-day journey by foot and even more so in your condition. We were actually headed in that direction anyway, so we could drop you off there on the way to our next destination," said Koko as she stood up.

Just then, Koko's knights came over to report in. "We've secured the area and notified the village leader that everything's safe. We're ready to head out when you are, ma'am," said one of the knights.

Koko acknowledged, turning to her team to congratulate them on a job well done. "Understood. Good work overall, but the execution was sloppy. We'll address that when we return to the island," she said, giving her knights a stern look. "You three continue on horseback to Patsio. I'll be taking the supply cart and meet you there."

"Do you want one of us to accompany you, ma'am?" asked one of the other knights.

"No need. I owe this woman a debt and I intend to pay her back in full for her heroic deed. I'll be escorting her to Patsio while attending to her injury. I'll meet up with you there and we can continue on," said Koko.

"Understood. Safe journey, ma'am," said one of the knights, giving her a salute along with the other two.

Koko returned the salute then watched as her team went on without her. She then turned to Yuri and handed back her footwear that she had to take off in order to apply the bandage. "Is there anything you need to do in this village before we move out?" she asked. As soon as she said that, Yuri's stomach rumbled with hunger.

"I wouldn't mind getting something to eat. I was about to get some food here at the tavern, but- you know, wyvern attack," said Yuri, her cheeks slightly red from embarrassment caused by her noisy stomach.

"I see. Well, we need to wait for the tavern staff to return, but that shouldn't take too long," said Koko as she looked around the town. "In the meantime, let's wait inside to get you off your feet." She then took one of Yuri's arms and placed it around her neck while wrapping one of her own arms around Yuri's waist. "C'mon, let's get you seated," said Koko as she helped Yuri limp her way inside the tavern.

After finding an empty table, Yuri and Koko waited around for the workers to return to their posts. Soon enough, people began trickling in and once everyone had returned, service continued like normal. When they ordered their food, the barmaid recognized Koko as the knight that saved their village. She offered to have their meals be on the house, but Koko declined by saying she was only doing her duty. The barmaid insisted anyway and had their meals compensated in gratitude for her service.

Once the barmaid left, Yuri looked to Koko. "How come you didn't just let her pay for it all? I mean, you did defeat that wyvern basically all by yourself," said Yuri.

Koko sighed and gave Yuri a tired look. "Because our order works to accomplish its goals in the name of the greater good. Its knights require nor desire any means of compensation for the sacred work they do. The safety of the realm is all we need… along with the basic necessities, of course," she said in a monotone voice, almost sounding like the response was rehearsed and had been given over and over again.

"Oh…," said Yuri as she glanced down towards the table.

Seeing Yuri looking so dejected, Koko decided to ask a question of her own to break her out of it. "All right, my turn," she said, prompting Yuri to look back up at her. "Why did you decide to save me earlier from the wyvern's attack? You had absolutely no obligation to do what you did, yet you did it anyway. Are you a soldier or something? Maybe a guard? Not likely, but you never can tell," she said.

Completely caught by surprise, Yuri paused to choose her words carefully. "To be honest, it was all for the sake of self-preservation. You seemed to be the best chance of getting rid of the wyvern, so I saved you so you could save me… if that makes any sense," she said.

"Sooooo you put your own life in grave danger… for the sake of self-preservation?" asked Koko with a furrowed brow.

Yuri gave a nod and a nervous smile. "Yeah, pretty much. And to answer your other question, I'm neither. I'm just a traveling nun who likes to read books," she said.

Koko gave Yuri a guarded look then chuckled. "You're an odd one, you know that?" she said as she leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed over her chest in bewilderment.

Just then, the barmaid came by with their food, so they took a break from their conversation to eat. The two remained silent other than the sounds of them munching on their food. Yuri took advantage of the pause in their talk to collect her thoughts, wondering if it was wise to be traveling with a knight, and a very strong one at that. Once they had gotten a bit of their food in their stomachs, Yuri decided to strike up a different conversation to turn the attention away from her.

"So, um, how come you can't be harmed by fire? Is it your armor or maybe a magic spell that protects you?" asked Yuri.

Koko swallowed her mouthful of food and looked to Yuri. "Honestly, I don't know. I've always been that way," said Koko as she gave her a plain look.

It seemed to Yuri that Koko didn't want to talk anymore, so she just focused on finishing her meal. After they were done eating, they prepared to head out. As Yuri tried to get up from her seat, Koko quickly went over to her and helped her stand up.

"Here, let me help you," said Koko. While Yuri was standing there with all her weight resting on her good leg, Koko picked her up in her arms in one swift motion.

Yuri was caught off guard as she suddenly found herself cradled in Koko's arms, her boot and chap clutched tightly in her hands. She looked up to Koko with her cheeks red from embarrassment. Koko kept her gaze forward as she began walking towards the front door, her expression still stoic. As Yuri remained in her arms, she rested her head against Koko's breastplate, a slight smile tugging at the sides of her mouth.

Koko carried Yuri outside and gently sat her on the front bench of her carriage. "Here you are. You can just rest here during the ride," said Koko before taking a seat on the bench next to her.

As Koko sat down, Yuri scooted over slightly to make sure there was a comfortable amount of space between the two of them. She carefully put her boot back on before getting comfortable for the carriage ride. Keeping her hands in her lap, Yuri remained quiet as she kept hidden behind her hood. She wanted to say something to keep the conversations going, but she was at a loss for words.

The initial portion of their trip was spent mostly in silence with neither Yuri nor Koko saying a word to one another. Koko focused on driving the cart while Yuri just watched the countryside as it slowly passed them by. From time to time, Koko pulled the cart over to check on Yuri and apply some healing magic to her injury. Every time she did that, Yuri couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

As it got late in the day, Koko stopped at the next inn before it got too dark to travel. They came across a small town and decided to check into the local inn. It was a small establishment and it was attached to the town's tavern as well, but it'd have to do. Yuri just hoped it wouldn't be too loud and rambunctious. Once they got there, Koko parked the cart around back then went to help Yuri get down from the bench. Before they headed inside, Koko rummaged around the supplies in the cart and found a crutch for Yuri to use. Once Yuri got the hang of using it, she and Koko made their way to the front and headed inside.

Yuri followed closely behind Koko as they approached the innkeeper. Koko booked them a simple single room with two beds and basic amenities. When Koko asked if their arrangements were all right, Yuri said it was just fine. Since Koko was paying, Yuri had no excuse to complain. After getting their room key, Koko helped Yuri get up the stairs and to their room. The room they had was simple enough, consisting of two beds, two bedside tables, and a table set off to the side with two simple chairs. It wasn't much, but at least it was better than sleeping outside, vulnerable to any wandering creature or bandit.

After opening the door and stepping inside, Koko looked to Yuri. "Have your pick of the beds. I don't mind either one," she said before closing the door behind them.

Yuri gave her a courteous nod and hobbled on over to the one on the right, having been used to sleeping with the wall to her left. She took off her satchel and placed it on the table before making her way over. Once there, she leaned her crutch against the wall and slowly lowered herself onto the bed, sitting down and sighing with relief before transitioning to lying on her back.

"It's still a bit early for dinner, so when it's time to eat, I'll get some food from the tavern downstairs and bring it back up so you don't have to move," said Koko as she removed her sword from her side and placed it next to her bedside table. She then walked over to Yuri while bringing over one of the chairs and setting it next to her bed. "In the meantime, you can just relax and focus on keeping your ankle still. So, is there anything I can do to make things more comfortable for you at the moment?" she asked as she stood behind the chair with her hands resting on the back of it.

While Koko was talking, Yuri positioned her pillow to support her back as she sat upright on the bed, leaning back against the wall. She then took a moment to see if she needed anything without taking too much advantage of her knight-in-shining-armor. "Well… if it wouldn't be too much trouble…," said Yuri as she looked down to her feet. "Could you please remove my boots for me? I can't quite reach them without agitating my ankle."

Koko followed Yuri's gaze then promptly acknowledged. "No problem," she said before scooting the chair down to the end of her bed. She then sat down and gently removed Yuri's boots, starting with her good leg before moving on to her injured one. Koko was extra careful to not hurt Yuri as she finally got it off, taking her shoes and neatly setting them on the floor beside her bed. "There. Is there anything else?" she asked while standing back up.

Yuri thought for a moment then shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Thank you, brave knight," she said before getting more comfy. She took off her gloves and removed her cloak, setting them beside her on the bed.

As Yuri continued to settle in, Koko moved over to her own bed and began to doff her armor, starting with her bracers. She sat down on the edge of her bed and exhaled tiredly, going through the motions of her removing her armor. Once Koko started, Yuri couldn't help but notice and watched her from her bed. Koko removed her bracers followed by her gloves, setting them next to her before unfastening her breastplate. As she was undoing the fasteners, she happened to meet Yuri's attentive eyes as she was watching her from across the room.

"Is there something you need?" asked Koko while finally removing her chest and shoulder armor.

Yuri had been unaware of her obvious staring so her cheeks immediately reddened as Koko's question broke her out of her daze. "Uh! No, I'm okay. I just… never seen how a knight removed their armor so, I was just curious. Sorry," she said as she quickly diverted her gaze elsewhere.

Koko smiled slightly at Yuri's timidity and continued on to removing her shin guards. "Is that so? Well, I don't mind if you watch. And if you really want to learn, I can show you later how to properly don and doff armor up close," she said.

Yuri tried her best to hide her embarrassment behind her long hair and kept her eyes looking forward and away from Koko. "No no, that's okay. I'll- I'll just- Is it really okay if I… watch?" she asked, almost choking on her words.

Koko looked at her with a quizzical look, placing all her doffed armor aside. "Yeah, I already said it was okay. It's not like I'm undressing or anything like that and even if I was, we're both females. But- I'm actually done, so… yeah, nothing else to see here," she said.

Missing her chance at spying on the knight as she shed her protective layering, Yuri turned to Koko with a briefly disappointed look before pouting slightly, looking to the floor. "Oh…," she said under her breath.

After removing her heavy armor, Koko got up and stretched her arms up above her head. As she did, Yuri discretely looked back towards her and saw her in just her shirt, pants and boots, getting a better view of her true physique. Yuri bit her lip slightly as she gazed upon Koko's fit body; she wasn't too muscular or too lean, but instead just perfect.

With a tired exhale, Koko relaxed and stepped towards Yuri, moving her belongings from her bed to beside her satchel on the table. Once the spot was cleared, Koko returned to Yuri's side and sat down on the bed beside her. Seeing her so close, Yuri got a better look at Koko's more striking features. Her luscious, deep-red hair first caught Yuri's eye as it flowed down to her shoulders in no particular fashion. Even though it wasn't styled, it still looked stunning as it swayed. Moving down, Yuri got lost in Koko's gorgeous light-orange eyes, almost seeing a burning passion residing within them.

As Yuri was captivated by Koko's good looks, Koko just stared back with a clueless look. "Umm… is there something on my face?" asked Koko, unaware of Yuri's growing attraction towards her.

Yuri shook off her trance once more and smiled meekly. "No! I was just- uh, admiring your- Uh…," she said before growing silent, her words getting caught in her throat and causing her to blush again.

"Oh no. Are you getting sick? You're getting red," said Koko as she leaned closer and felt Yuri's forehead with the back of hand.

With Koko moving so close and their faces just a few inches apart, Yuri nearly passed out from the tension but managed to keep a grip on things. "I- I- I'm fine. Just… tired is all," she said with a weak smile as she fumbled on her words.

Not sensing a fever or anything, Koko withdrew her hand and sat back upright. "That's a relief," she said.

Yuri calmed down and just looked at Koko sitting in front of her. "Was- Was there something you wanted?" she asked.

Koko gave her a blank look then remembered what she came over for in the first place. "Oh. Right. I was actually going to ask you what you wanted to eat," she said.

Taking a moment to think it over, Yuri tried to decide on what she wanted to eat for dinner. She was still somewhat full from lunch, so she couldn't come to a decision. "I don't know. Isn't it still a bit too early?" asked Yuri.

"I suppose. I just wanted to get your answer now in case you wanted to take a nap or something. Then I could get the food without having to wake you up," said Koko.

"Oh, in that case…," said Yuri, taking a second to ponder her options but couldn't come up with anything. "Just get me whatever you get. That should be fine. I don't want to be a hassle since you're paying."

Koko gave her a plain stare then said, "Uh, you're still paying for your food. I'm just putting the order in and picking it up. This isn't, like, a date or anything." She then gave Yuri a smirk and stood back up. "But, since you did attempt to save me, I'll take care of it just this once," she said, holding up her index finger.

Yuri's fragile being couldn't take all the embarrassment she was experiencing in such a short time span. She just wanted to roll over and die -that was how horrible she felt- but instead she just sat there on the bed, completely silent as she kept her eyes down and away from Koko.

"Don't worry your pretty, little head about it. I have plenty of coin to cover the cost of a single meal. I'm more than happy to assist a member of a religious order. I know how little you get paid, if at all, for your services. Believe it or not, I was an adventurer before joining the OSF and accumulated a modest bit of gold," said Koko as she tried to cheer Yuri up, thinking she was upset rather than embarrassed.

"You… were an adventurer?" asked Yuri as she finally managed to look up towards Koko.

Koko smirked, thinking back to her time adventuring after leaving home and the memories spent with the crazy members of Sabot Draconis. "I sure was. Do you want to hear about some of those adventures?" she asked, her hands stuck in her pants pockets as she stood in the middle of the room.

Yuri only managed to give a small nod, prompting Koko to take the chair by her bedside and scoot it closer. For the next stretch of time, Koko sat down with Yuri and told her about a couple highlights from her escapades with the crew of Sabot Draconis, a rag-tag bunch of adventurers. Even with their vastly differing ideals and personalities, they somehow managed to work together to accomplish their mission. Although Koko hadn't actually gone on any of the adventures she told, she had the memories of the alternate timeline Koko fresh in her head. When it was time for dinner, Koko left to head downstairs to get some food for the both of them.

As soon as she left, Yuri sighed with relief and immediately started to undo her hidden blade bracer from her arm. It was going to be hard to explain if Koko had discovered it, since she was supposed to be masquerading as a nun and all. Once she had it removed, she used her crutch to hop over to the table where her bag was. She quickly hid it inside then returned back to her bed. With the room still to herself, she took a moment to daydream about Koko's appearance and their recent interactions. Her lovely red head of hair, her intense eyes, and her alluring body. The very thought of her made Yuri feel all warm on the inside. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before. She continued to indulge in her daydream until Koko returned to their room.

Koko barely managed to get the door open as she carried a bowl of soup in each hand. She nudged the door all the way with her foot and went over to the table, dropping off the two bowls. "Dinner has arrived," said Koko as she took out the utensils from a pouch on her belt.

Yuri snapped out of her fantasies and perked up, trying to get a better view of the bowls. "What is it? It smells nice," she said.

"It's the tavern's specialty, chicken and potato soup," said Koko as she headed back towards the door. "I'll be right back. I need to get the jug of water and cups from downstairs." She gave Yuri a wave then left the room, leaving the door cracked open.

Finding herself alone again, Yuri sighed happily. Her vacation was turning out a lot better than she could have imagined. She even wondered if she was dreaming, but that notion quickly faded as she moved her injured ankle, causing a slight surge of pain. She winced at the pain but soon smiled again as she realized that everything happening was real.

Soon enough, Koko returned with their drinks and set everything down on the table. She took one of the bowls and brought it over to Yuri, setting on her bedside table. She then went back and retrieved a spoon and cup of water, placing it beside the bowl of soup. "There, that should be everything. Is there anything else I can get you while I'm still up?" asked Koko.

Yuri looked over all the items and found everything in order. She shook her head then reached for her spoon, eager to dig in to her meal. Koko gave a nod and sat down at the table where her own dinner was waiting for her, also eager to begin eating. Yuri took the wooden spoon and plunged it into the bowl of soup, getting a nice piece of chicken along with some broth. The angle at which she was sitting in relation to her bowl on the table made it somewhat difficult to eat. She had to lean over in an awkward position then guide the spoon all the way back to her mouth from the bowl. She thought about just placing the bowl in her lap, but it was still much too hot for that.

Seeing Yuri struggling from out the corner of her eye, Koko stopped eating and turned to her. "Do you… need some help?" she asked with a smile and slight tilt of the head.

Yuri didn't want to admit defeat, but she was really hungry and indeed needed some help. "Yeah. It's a bit hard to eat without having to move my entire body just to reach the bowl…," she said as she set her spoon down.

Koko got up and sat down on the chair beside Yuri's bed. "All right then. Let's try this," said Koko as she took Yuri's spoon and scooped up some of her soup. She blew on the spoonful to cool it down a bit then proceeded to bring it up to Yuri's mouth.

"Are you- Are you going to feed me?" asked Yuri as she hesitated to open up her mouth to receive the soup.

"Is there a problem with that? You wanted some help so this is what I thought I'd do," said Koko as she inched the spoon closer.

Yuri swallowed nervously, never thinking her simple cry for help would turn into such an unexpected situation. She looked at the spoon then to Koko who was waiting patiently with a bare expression on her face. Not wanting to pass up the opportunity, Yuri slowly opened her mouth until it was wide enough for Koko to properly feed her.

With a swift but careful motion, Koko guided the spoon into her mouth, waited a moment as Yuri's lips closed over the utensil, then withdrew it as the spoon came out spotless. "There you go. How's it taste? I hope it wasn't too hot," said Koko as she waited for Yuri to finish chewing her food.

The food wasn't anything spectacular or memorable, but since it was spoon fed to her by a beautiful woman, it seemed like it was the most delicious thing Yuri had ever tasted. "It was, uh, good. Just perfect," she said after swallowing. She then looked back to Koko who was already preparing her next bite. "Say, you seem rather… comfortable with this. Have you done something like this before?" she asked out of the blue.

As Koko was blowing on the food, she paused and suddenly grew silent momentarily before responding. "I have done this before, but it was years ago," she said as she guided the spoon back to Yuri's mouth. "My mom. She… was sick and towards the end of her days, she wasn't able to feed herself. So, I- had to do it myself," she said as she withdrew the spoon once again and set it in the bowl.

While Yuri was chewing, she suddenly felt bad as she saw the brief moment of grief on Koko's face before she regained her composure. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring back painful memories for you," said Yuri after finishing her mouthful of soup.

Koko was soon back to her old self and picked up the spoon again. "It's okay. It's not your fault. I've already come to terms with it," she said.

For the remainder of dinner, Yuri remained silent as Koko continued to feed her until the bowl was empty. Once she was done, Koko finished her own meal then went downstairs to return the bowls and utensils. As she sat alone, Yuri couldn't help but feel guilty for dampening the mood during dinner. At least before she carelessly brought up Koko's mother, Koko seemed to be in a good mood, but after that, Yuri could tell Koko was saddened even if she was hiding it behind her normal expression. Not wanting to think about it anymore, she wanted to do something else to take her mind off it. She then remembered the book she was reading. Just as she was about to get up from bed, Koko returned and entered the room.

Seeing Yuri trying to get out of bed, Koko stepped in before she aggravated her injury. "No, don't get up. Is there something you need?" asked Koko as she approached Yuri.

After getting caught, Yuri returned to her spot on the bed and looked to her satchel. "I was just going to retrieve my book to get some reading in before bed. Do you mind getting it? It's in my bag on the table," said Yuri.

"Right away," said Koko as she went over to the table.

As soon as she saw Koko heading for her bag, Yuri tensed up, remembering her hidden blade also within the bag. "W- Wait!" she said as Koko was about to lift the flap to her knapsack. "I- I just remembered that I have- have some uh, personal items in there. Yeah. Could you just bring me the whole bag instead, please?"

Startled by Yuri's sudden outburst, Koko removed her hand from the flap then retrieved the entire bag, bringing it over to Yuri. "Here you go," said Koko as she gave it to Yuri.

Relieved that she avoided a potential calamity, Yuri thanked her and reached into her bag to get her book.

Seeing Yuri rummaging around in her bag, Koko couldn't help but give in to her curiosity. "So, what are you reading?" she asked as she sat down on the edge of her bed.

Yuri froze as she finally found her book and opened to the page where she had last stopped. "Uh, nothing. Just a book. A piece of fiction," said Yuri as she apprehensively looked to Koko.

Koko smiled and continued to press the issue. "I can see that, but, like, what's the title? What's it about?" she asked.

The content of her book wasn't exactly the easiest topic to talk about, but at least the title was inconspicuous enough. Yuri hid her face behind the book as she tried her best to come up with a response. She wanted to give Koko enough information to satisfy her curiosity but also seem simple enough not to warrant anymore questions. "It's, uh, called Bittersweet and it's about… two gir- characters… on a da- journey," she said as she became tense, almost slipping up and revealing too much. "It's basically… a romance story," she said.

"Oh, romance. Is that your favorite genre?" asked Koko.

Yuri exhaled deeply. "…it is," she said.

Koko could hear the slight annoyance in Yuri's voice and got the hint. "Oh, I'm sorry. You were trying to read, weren't you? I'll leave you alone then," said Koko as she ceased asking questions.

Yuri wasn't so much annoyed as she was nervous, but either way, she was glad Koko stopped talking. She took a deep breath then looked to the pages to find where she had left off. She began to read contently but soon stopped as she had an odd feeling take her over. She peeked over to see Koko just sitting on her bed across the room, watching her. "Uh… aren't you going to get some sleep? It's getting late," she said as she placed her book on her lap, keeping the page she was on marked.

"I need to be available in case you need some assistance. So until you decide to sleep, I'll remain awake by your side," said Koko.

"Oh, well I usually stay up late to read and don't turn in until I'm dead tired. Right now, I got lots of energy left so it'll be a while. I also need to catch up on my reading before we reach Patsio," said Yuri.

Koko sighed with discontent on the inside as she was actually beginning to get drowsy herself. "Before Patsio? What's the rush?" she asked.

"This is the book I'm going to get signed there. I haven't finished reading it yet, but I had planned to before I got there," said Yuri.

"I see. Well, allow me to keep you company then," said Koko while stifling a yawn.

Yuri smiled but her hair obscured it from Koko's view. "I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine. Really. Please, get some sleep. I'll need you at your best tomorrow," she said.

Koko couldn't help but let a small yawn escape her mouth as she looked to Yuri. "All right then. But if you need anything at all, and I mean anything… don't hesitate to wake me up," said Koko as she got up to check the door to their room. She locked the door and made sure it was secure before returning to her bed and removing her boots and belt. She gave Yuri one more check then laid down, getting underneath the covers as she rested her head on her pillow.

"Goodnight, Lady Koko," said Yuri as she watched Koko get comfy.

Koko snickered at that, not ever having been called that before. "Please, Koko is just fine," she said before closing her eyes.

Yuri blushed slightly then resumed reading. "Goodnight… Koko," she said softly to herself.

After spending a bit more time reading, Yuri finally decided to call it quits and set her book down on her bedside table. She took off her jacket to get more comfortable and loosened her belt and pants fasteners. As she got under the covers, she made sure to keep her ankle as straight as possible which was no easy task, but she managed it with minimal wincing. Once she was lying on her back under the sheets, she leaned over and blew out the candle on her bedside table.

The room went near pitch black as Yuri laid there in the dark, staring blankly at the ceiling as she took a moment to reflect on the day's events. She could hardly believe the series of events that landed her on a three-day trip with a lovely lady. She was so lucky. She then began to think about her knight-in-shining armor and decided to indulge herself a bit before falling asleep.

#

When Yuri woke up in the early hours of the morning, she felt completely rested, almost forgetting about her injured ankle. Her sleep was very peaceful and uninterrupted, something Yuri always appreciated. As she opened her eyes to the morning's rays of light, she turned her head and looked to the bed next to her. Koko was still soundly asleep in her bed, lying on her side and facing Yuri. Yuri couldn't help but stare for a few moments, soaking in the pleasant view of a tranquil Koko. Since the sheets had moved down to her abdomen, Yuri could see her lovely hair, face, and upper torso. Seeing her like that without her armor, she looked like any normal woman, so delicate and serene. Yuri could easily forget Koko was actually a combat-hardened knight who fought in countless battles and ventured all over.

As Yuri was watching her, Koko finally stirred awake and immediately met Yuri's gaze when she opened her eyes. Yuri froze for a second then turned her eyes away, looking up to the ceiling instead.

Koko's vision was still a bit blurry and didn't catch Yuri creepily watching her as she slept. She yawned and sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes before glancing over to Yuri. She noticed that Yuri was awake then moved to the edge of her bed, sitting on the edge. "You're awake. Do you… need anything?" she asked, yawning halfway through her sentence.

Yuri covered her embarrassment by hiding most of her face with the sheets, but when she realized Koko didn't catch her staring, she loosened up. "No, not at the moment. I just woke up," she said as she sat up in bed as well.

"Were you able to sleep well?" asked Koko as she leaned forward and rested her forearms on her thighs.

"Yes. Very much so," said Yuri after remembering the very pleasant dream she had. "How about you, La- I mean, Koko."

Koko took a second to think and said, "I slept all right. Don't think I woke up in the middle of the night or anything like that. In fact, I think I was even able to dream, though I don't remember it at all."

"Oh, what a shame. I remember my dream," said Yuri with a smile.

"Is that so? Care to share?" asked Koko as she began putting her boots on.

Remembering her dream, vividly in fact, Yuri shook her head and pretended not to recall as it was too embarrassing to tell. "A- Actually, now that you mention it. I, uh, don't remember," she said while diverting her attention away.

"That's too bad," said Koko as she stood up and fastened her belt. "Well, once I'm ready, I'll help you up so you can take care of any morning business that you need to do."

Yuri removed the covers and moved to the side of her bed. "I think I can manage on my own. I'm feeling a lot better thanks to you," she said as she reached for her shoes.

Before Yuri could put them on, Koko went over to her and got on one knee. "Before you put your shoes back on, let me see your ankle," she said as she gently grasped Yuri's injured leg. She inspected her ankle and noticed a big improvement from yesterday. It wasn't as swollen and was beginning to look more like her uninjured one. "It's healing nicely. Just give it a day or so and it should be back to normal." She then stood back up and returned to donning her armor.

"That's good to hear. It's all thanks to you after all," said Yuri. After Koko was done with her examination, Yuri went about putting her shoes back on. It took her a bit longer than normal but once she had them on, she reached for her crutch and stood up, keeping the pressure off her bad ankle.

Yuri and Koko spent the early morning light getting ready for the day of traveling ahead of them. They had a quick breakfast then returned to the cart. Koko helped Yuri onboard then guided the horse and cart back onto the main road. Once they were out in the open, Koko got on the bench next to Yuri and began driving onward towards Patsio.

The day and pretty much the rest of the trip went by without a hitch or anything interesting happening. The trip was mostly spent in silence with the occasional conversation occurring between the two of them. There were a few hijinks here and there, but they were pretty minor and nothing compared to the first day they met. They stopped for breaks from time to time to allow for the horse to rest and eat. During the breaks, Yuri and Koko also ate a few of their meals which consisted of rations gathered from the supplies on the cart. Koko also did some minor healing spells to help accelerate the healing process for Yuri's ankle.

It was the last day of their journey and they were getting close to their destination. Only a small town was between them and the town of Patsio, so they decided to get a small bite to eat before they continued on the final stretch. Along the road they were on, they came across a small tavern which claimed to serve the best food around. Koko was getting pretty hungry, so they stopped there to get a meal. Koko parked the cart and went inside along with Yuri. Yuri's ankle was just about fully healed by then and she was able to move around on her own, unencumbered by the crutch.

When they went inside, the tavern was empty besides the barkeep behind the counter. They had no trouble finding a spot to sit, so they sat at the counter where the owner was. Koko took a seat first then Yuri beside her.

"What can I do for you, lovely ladies?" asked the barkeep with a welcoming smile, giving them his full attention.

Koko looked to Yuri, signaling that she could go first while she figured out what she wanted. Yuri smiled then turned to the barkeep. "Hi. Can I just get a chicken pot pie, please, with a jug of water?" asked Yuri.

"Sure. I can get that started for you. And you?" asked the barkeep as he looked to Koko.

"Yeah… I'd like a chicken pot pie as well, but could I also get some of that peach mead as well?" asked Koko.

"The peach mead, eh? Fine choice. Let me go tell Chef to get off his lazy ass and get cooking," said the barkeep before disappearing into the back.

Hearing Koko's order, Yuri looked to her with a surprised look. "I didn't know you drank," she said.

Off put by the sudden question, Koko turned to her and replied. "Not often, but I'm trying to enjoy myself a little before we get to Patsio. When we get there, I'll have to meet up with my team and return to business as usual. You know, with the formalities and the professionalism. And that means no drinking on the job," she said with a disappointed sigh.

"I guess that makes sense," said Yuri as she snickered a bit. "At least you got have a little fun for a few days, right? I mean, I wasn't too much of a burden, was I?"

Koko shook her head with a smile. "Of course not. You weren't a burden in the slightest. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed your company which made my break all the better," she said.

Yuri couldn't help but nearly smile from ear to ear as her cheeks reddened slightly. "That's… awfully nice of you to say," she said while turning her head away.

Koko was about to say something else but the barkeep returned carrying a jug of water and a tankard of peach mead. "Here you go, ladies. Your food should be out in a bit," he said, placing the drinks on the counter before them.

Koko forgot what she was going to say to Yuri then redirected her gaze to her drink. Seeing the tankard of sweet, peach mead right in front of her, Koko took the drink in hand and downed a hearty swig, sighing with relief. "Damn, that's pretty good," she said before wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

"I'm glad you like it," said the barkeep while wiping the counter with a cloth. "So, where are you ladies headed?"

Koko took another long drink from her tankard before answering. "Patsio. It's just down the road and past the next town, right?" she asked.

"Indeed it is," said the barkeep. "You two traveling alone?"

Seeing Koko with her mead made Yuri somewhat want to order something alcoholic as well, but one of the rules she adopted from Monika was to never order alcohol from a place she wasn't familiar with. With a sigh, she retrieved an empty cup and poured herself some water from the jug. "Yeah. Just the two of us," she said before taking a sip of water.

"Is that so…," said the barkeep as he tried to stifle a smile.

As Yuri took another drink from her water, she could sense the mood shift slightly and began scanning her surroundings discretely. Something wasn't right to her ever since they entered the tavern, but it wasn't until then that her instincts started to really kick in. The tavern was still empty despite it being located on a main road and it being a prime time for people to eat. Yuri instinctively reached for her sword, but she forgot she didn't have it with her. Her hidden blade was also not with her and still placed within her bag. She cursed under her breath then looked to Koko who was still indulging in her mead and seemingly unaware of what was going on. The barkeep was acting a bit too friendly for her liking and she couldn't hear the usual sounds of a busy kitchen where food was supposedly being prepared. It all screamed something wrong but she couldn't put a finger on it. Suddenly, her fears were fully realized as the door to the tavern burst wide open.

Yuri tried to remain calm as she spotted three very dangerous looking men enter the tavern out the corner of her eye. She glanced over towards the barkeep who was looking at the three men before giving them a slight nod, motioning to her and Koko. As Yuri tried to get a handle on the situation, the three men approached her and Koko from behind and stood just a few feet away.

"Okay, miss knight. If you don't want anything to happen to your little friend here, you'll get up and hand over your weapons," said the bandit that appeared to be in-charge. He drew his sword and placed it on Koko's shoulder while one of the other bandits moved closer to Yuri, drawing a dagger and holding it to her neck.

Koko slammed her tankard down and looked over her other shoulder at the bandit. "Excuse me? And who do you think you are threatening a knight of the Order of the Sacred Fire so brazenly," she said as she stood up, drawing her sword and facing the bandits all in one swift motion. As she stood upright, her head began to spin as she suddenly began to lose her balance, barely able to keep her sword up. "What- What is happening to me?" she asked as she stumbled backwards, leaning against the counter to keep herself from falling completely over.

The bandit leader smirked and tapped the tankard of peach mead Koko was drinking. "Have a bit too much to drink, did we?" he asked in a mocking manner.

Yuri looked to the tankard then to Koko. She thought in her head that there was no way Koko could have gotten drunk after only a half a tankard of mead. She then looked to the enemies in the room with a worried expression. She could easily take out the three bandits if only she had her weapons with her, but she didn't and was instead playing the part of the damsel in distress.

Koko's state continued to deteriorate as she looked over to Yuri. "Yuri… I'll- I'll hold them off. You need to run and get out of here…," she said with a shallow breath.

Upon hearing that, the bandits all laughed as the leader took a step towards Koko. "Hold us off? And how do you plan to do that?" he asked.

Koko sneered at him then lunged forward with her sword, but by then, her coordination was completely compromised. When she swung with her sword, she stumbled and fell to the floor while losing her grip on her weapon.

Seeing Koko in such a vulnerable state, Yuri couldn't help but frown at the grim situation they were faced with. As she looked away, she saw Koko's sword lying right in front of her on the ground. She began to think of a plan to get them out of that sticky situation but was suddenly interrupted by the pained cry of Koko.

"This could have been so easy and painless if only you had cooperated!" said the bandit leader as he kicked a defenseless Koko on the ground.

Yuri looked back to her to see another bandit kicking her, the leader landing a solid hit to her stomach. Not wanting her new friend get hurt any more, Yuri couldn't wait any longer and had to act fast. The bandit that had the knife to her throat was watching the other two and wasn't paying any attention to her. It was the perfect opportunity to strike so she took it and launched her attack. She exhaled deeply and cleared her mind. The first bit was going to be the trickiest part, so she had to focus.

While her target had his focus elsewhere, Yuri jerked her head back and struck the bandit's face with the back of her head. As the bandit reeled from the initial blow, Yuri grasped the arm with the knife using both hands and skillfully got out from his hold. She then took the arm which was still firmly in her grasp and used it to jam the knife he was clutching right into his neck, penetrating his jugular. Not wanting to waste time, she delivered a forceful sidekick to launch the fatally wounded bandit away before bending down to pick up Koko's sword. By then, the other two bandits had stopped kicking Koko and turned their attention towards Yuri.

Surprised by the sudden turn of events, the bandit leader forgot about Koko and pointed his sword at Yuri. "Just what do you think you're doing, girl? Your knight friend here can't help you and you're outnumbered. Put down the sword before you get hurt," he said as he began to step towards her.

Koko coughed up a bit of blood and propped herself up to see Yuri standing calmly before them with her sword in hand. "What are you doing? Just get out of here! You can't defeat them on your own," said Koko.

Having seized an advantage, Yuri remained composed and undeterred. "Don't worry, Koko. I'm not going anywhere without you," she said as she gave her a reassuring smile. She then looked to the bandits and readied her sword, her expression returning to that of determination and pure focus. Koko's sword was heavier than her own rapier, but with the amount of adrenaline pumping through her veins, she hardly even noticed as she wielded it expertly.

Yuri gripped the sword's handle firmly and exhaled. "You there. You were correct in assuming that my friend here, all clad in plate armor with a sword at her side was the most obvious threat. That's why the barkeep drugged her instead of me, the innocent looking girl with no weapons to bear," she said as her demeanor fully changed to that of a killer, allowing her to advance fearlessly towards the two bandits. "But as my wise master once told me…," she said, swinging the sword with a flourish as she stared down the bandit leader. "Assumption is the mother-of-all-fuck-ups." She then lunged at the bandit leader and swung her sword at him with all her might. The bandit leader had barely enough time to block the attack as he raised his sword to defend, the blow causing him to step backwards a bit.

All the while, Koko managed to crawl off to the side and watched in awe as Yuri fought the remaining two bandits all by herself. She was completely amazed by the skill at which Yuri wielded her sword. The movements and techniques she implemented, it was almost like a dance and Koko couldn't look away.

Yuri kept up the assault and didn't give the bandits any chances to rest or counterattack. She kept her focus on the leader and eventually saw an opening to put him down for good. She lured him into a false state of security and purposely made an opening for him to attack. The bandit leader took the bait and made a foolish swing towards her, not knowing that his attack would seal his fate. Seeing her opponent act the way she wanted, she grinned an evil grin and easily parried the attack before striking with a lightning fast horizontal swipe across his neck. She then followed up with her signature finisher starting with a downwards diagonal strike followed by an upwards diagonal one and then a downwards vertical slash. The three slashes formed a "Y" in his torso and she decided to finish it all off with a mighty thrust, plunging the sword right through the middle of the "Y" as she got up close to her target. She watched the bandit leader's panicking eyes as his last breaths left him. After he ceased moving, Yuri kicked him away with much disgust as she withdrew her blade before looking to the other bandit. The final bandit was scared stiff but finally managed to step backwards before fully turning tail and running out the front door along with the barkeep.

Victorious, Yuri spat in their direction before hurrying to Koko's side. "Koko! Are you all right? How do you feel?" she asked as she knelt down beside Koko.

Koko was still conscious and saw the entire thing, but her coordination and movement were still impaired. "I'm… okay. Just- a bit tired is all," she said through shallow breaths.

Remembering the drugged drink, Yuri got up and inspected the tankard, using a finger to taste the mead before spitting it out. She immediately identified the drug used to incapacitate Koko and fortunately it wasn't fatal or even harmful. It was just a common substance used by people with ill intentions in mind to make potentially troublesome targets easier to handle. "The drug they used isn't anything to be worried about. You should be back to normal after a good night's rest," she said after squatting back down to where Koko was. She helped Koko back on her feet and guided her to the door. "Let's get you out of here. There's no telling when those bandits might return."

As Yuri helped her walk, there was so many questions that Koko wanted to ask her, things like how she was able to easily defeat the bandits and where she learned to fight like that. Unfortunately, her impaired state made it difficult to talk, so she kept quiet until she was back to normal, then she'd get the answers she wanted.

When they got back to the cart, Yuri helped Koko onto the bench then tossed her sword in the back with the supplies. She had no idea how to drive the cart, but after watching Koko the past few days, she managed to get the horse moving and started heading down the road to the next town. There, she hoped to find a more reputable inn to check in so Koko could get some sleep. Yuri was worried about Koko and kept looking over to her to see if she was okay. Fortunately, it could have been much worse but all things considered, Koko was going to be just fine. Yuri couldn't help but constantly be concerned, however, she managed to focus on getting to the town ahead.

It was getting dark out but they managed to reach the town before it became too dark to travel. Yuri looked around and found the local inn. She did as Koko had done before and parked the cart around back. She then helped Koko down from the bench and walked with her inside the inn.

Yuri quickly talked with the innkeeper then helped Koko up the stairs and inside their room. The room was much like the others they stayed in and had two beds. Yuri guided Koko over to the side she usually took and carefully laid her onto the bed. Koko was barely awake and sweating from exhaustion. To make her more comfortable, Yuri started to doff her armor and stripped her down to just her pants and shirt. After having watched Koko doff her armor the few times she did, she managed to get all of it off with relative ease, neatly placing it all on the floor beside the bed. Yuri then got a jug of water and placed it on the bedside table along with an empty wooden bowl. She poured some water into the bowl and soaked a simple cotton cloth in it, wringing it out before placing it on Koko's forehead. By then, Koko was out cold, so Yuri did her best to make her as comfortable as possible. She brought a chair over and sat by Koko's bedside, keeping a watchful eye on her in case her condition worsened, but the chance of that happening was slim. Still, Yuri didn't want to take any chances and continued to take care of her brave protector until she herself succumbed to her tiredness and fell asleep.

#

When Yuri finally awoke the next morning, she found herself slouched over and resting on a bed. She was still sitting in her chair and remembered where she was and what she was doing. She immediately sat up straight to find Koko sitting upright in bed, awake and looking right at her with a perturbed expression.

"Koko! You're… awake," said Yuri who was excited at first to see Koko okay, but then sobered up as she saw her disillusioned gaze penetrating her very being.

"Yes, I am," said Koko with a weary sigh. "But, I shouldn't complain. It's all thanks to you that I'm safe and sound."

Yuri smiled at that, resting her hands in her lap. "Oh, it was nothing. I'm sure you would've done the same for me," she said.

Even though everything was all right, Koko still had a concerned look on her face. "Of course I would have. I'm a trained knight with years of experience. But you… You're just a nun, or so you say, yet you managed to fight off three bandits all on your own. You wielded my sword so expertly and gracefully that I could've mistaken you for a seasoned warrior. So… who exactly are you?" she asked, keeping her eyes focused on Yuri.

Having been found out, Yuri began to panic internally as she struggled to figure out a way to explain herself to Koko. She finally decided that being honest was the best course of action, so she buckled down and told Koko what she wanted to know. "You're right. I'm not actually a nun. I'm-," said Yuri as she fidgeted in her seat, trying to come clean. "I'm… an assassin." She kept the details to a minimum and definitely didn't touch on her background as the true heir of Gilderland.

After Yuri confessed, Koko closed her eyes and leaned back, trying to process everything that Yuri had told her. She was completely irritated, fuming on the inside after having been duped and lied to. Koko exhaled deeply through her nose then said, "I see. So you make a living by taking the lives of others. Not exactly the most noble or virtuous of occupations for a nun." She then opened her eyes and looked to Yuri. "Now I can see why you kept your identity a secret when we first met. Being an assassin isn't exactly something one in your position would go about openly revealing to a person like me. Fortunately for you, I hunt demons, devils, and other threats to society which don't include assassins like you, so… I forgive you for deceiving me."

Yuri looked up and met her gaze. "…r- really?" she asked.

Koko gave a solemn nod. "However, that being said, I think that we should go our separate ways starting immediately," she said, her expression serious and unyielding.

Seeing the intensity in her eyes, Yuri couldn't help but divert hers away. "But- But why?" she asked.

"I am a force for law and order, though it hadn't always been like that but that's who I am now. You work for yourself and skirt the line between good and evil so… I cannot be seen associating myself with the likes of you," said Koko, a hint of venom interwoven into her words.

Yuri was completely heartbroken at that. Koko was making it seem like she was pure evil incarnate which couldn't have been further from the truth. Sure she may have killed a few people here and there, but her targets were all evil and wicked. It wasn't like she killed for fun or took on jobs to kill the innocent. She remained silent for a moment before she could muster enough courage to respond. "Does- Does that mean you don't like me?" she asked.

Koko was caught off guard by such an innocent question but kept up her sternness. "As a person, I find you rather… amusing. Perhaps in another life, under different circumstances, we could have even been friends. But as it stands, you're an assassin and I am a knight," she said.

Yuri hung her head low, feeling like she was being scolded by her mentor. "Oh, okay…," she said with a quiet voice.

Koko could see that she was torturing the poor girl, so she decided to get it over with to spare her any more pain. "We're even now, okay? I cared for you and you cared for me. So now, if you don't mind, could you please leave me alone and get out. I assume we're in Patsio or the town right before it, so you should be able to manage on your own," said Koko as she motioned for the door.

Yuri was on the verge of tears as she looked to Koko, but Koko wasn't having any of it. Koko continued to point to the door as she kept her head turned away from her. Yuri could see she wasn't going to budge, so she reluctantly got up and began retrieving her things. Before she left, she reached into her bag and pulled out the book she was going to have signed. She went back over to Koko and placed it on her bedside table, saying that it was for her to read if she ever got bored while she recovered. She figured she'd just buy a new one once she got to Patsio. After placing the book down, she gave Koko one last look only to see that she was still avoiding eye contact with her. With a defeated sigh, Yuri made her way to the door and left, gently closing the door behind her.

After Yuri had left the room, Koko exhaled regretfully as she didn't desire the outcome either but she had to adhere to the rules of her order. Finding herself alone, she felt her forehead and was almost completely back to full strength thanks to Yuri's diligent care. Koko looked to the door and frowned, remembering that she forgot to properly thank Yuri for staying by her side. She wanted to jump out of bed right there and then and run after her to thank her, but she didn't. She couldn't. Not after the front she put up when she told her to leave in the first place. She grumbled as she clenched her hand into a fist, beating herself up on the inside for being so curt and unsympathetic.

Koko then looked to the book Yuri left behind on her bedside table. She reached over and picked it up, looking at the cover before opening to the first page. On the inside of the front cover, she noticed that Yuri had written her name there: Yuri von Lucatile. Koko did her best to remember the name as she thumbed through the book, not stopping to read any section in particular. Once she reached the end, she closed the book and set it back on the table.

Just as she did, Koko felt a sharp pain in her head as the vision of her and the mysterious girl with long, black hair flashed in her mind. As the memory faded, Koko began to think about the girl and wondered if that was supposed to be Yuri. She closed her eyes and tried to picture the person again. When she did, the similarities were striking, though, she looked older. Then again, Koko looked older as well. Thinking it could've been a possible sign, Koko quickly jumped out of bed and hurried downstairs in search of Yuri, but alas, she was long gone by then. She sneered to herself then exhaled angrily, cursing herself for being so stupid. She looked around her immediate surroundings one last time before returning back to her room. What did it all mean?


	2. Reigniting the Spark

**===== Chapter 2 =====**

**Reigniting the Spark**

After their initial meeting, Koko began to think more and more about Yuri, wondering if she'd ever see her again. She didn't have much to work with if she ever wanted to find her. She only knew her name, knew she was an assassin, and had a mental image of her physical appearance. It wasn't much to go on but Koko remained hopeful that they'd meet once more. In all honesty, Koko didn't care that Yuri was an assassin; she'd traveled with companions who were much worse and done much more horrible things, or at least, in another timeline anyway. During their last encounter, she was more aggravated with Yuri's lying than when she revealed her occupation as a mere assassin.

Koko held on to the book Yuri had given her and even gave it a read to see why she wanted to get it signed by the author. After she completed reading the book, she grew infatuated with the characters and overall plot that she went back and read the entire series from the beginning. Once she was done, she gained a sudden urge to get one of her books signed by the author, also figuring it would be a good way to hunt Yuri down in case they happened to attend the same event. Whenever she was in a town that had one, Koko went to the local bookstore and kept an ear out for future events that featured her favorite author. She even decided to try other books of the same genre that were written by different authors. She found some that were good while others not so much. As time went on and after several book signings, Koko had come up dry when it came to seeing anyone that even resembled Yuri. Eventually, she decided to give up the search entirely. She just wanted to attend a book signing for herself and not worry about keeping an eye out for her elusive assassin.

#

As Koko was standing in line, waiting for her turn to finally arrive, something, or rather, someone caught her eye. Koko looked to the individual who was further along in the line than she was. She couldn't make out much since she could only see the person's back. What caught her attention was the woman's pitch-black hair with a purple tint. Suddenly, a jolt of pain struck her head as the vision flashed in in her mind. That had to be her, Koko thought.

Koko kept an eye on her to make sure she didn't get away. She didn't want to lose her place in line so she planned to get the woman's attention after she got her book signed and turned around. In the meantime, she tried to figure out just what exactly she was going to say to her. Could the vision really be one of the future? Were they really meant to be lovers and even somehow have children? She barely even knew Yuri and their last encounter wasn't exactly the most romantic of ones.

Before she knew it, Koko had moved up further in the queue and the mysterious girl was just about next in line. She quickly tried to think of something to say and finally decided to just make it up as she went. When the girl she was watching finally got her book signed and turned around, Koko felt a certain warm feeling in her chest. It was her, the girl from her dreams.

Yuri hadn't recognized Koko yet and was making her way out of the bookshop. As Koko was about to speak and get her attention, Yuri looked over to her. Immediately, she spotted Koko's vibrant head of red hair and her tan complexion. Even though it had been a little over a year, Yuri couldn't forget a face like Koko's. Yuri let a longing smile appear on her face before her expression returned to its normal stoic look, remembering how their last meeting went. Nevertheless, she began walking over to Koko to at least say hello.

Koko nearly forgot she was standing in a line and almost left to meet Yuri halfway, but she then stopped and just waited for her to come over instead. She squirmed in her spot, not having felt that particular way before. What was it about Yuri that was causing it, she wondered? Was it Yuri's cute face and attractive body? Was it her unassuming yet very capable appearance and demeanor? Was it her elegant and deadly skills with a blade? She couldn't tell. Perhaps it was all of the above. While she was lost in her thought, Yuri had already walked all the way over to her.

"Oh, hello, Koko. Fancy meeting you here," said Yuri briefly before continuing on towards the exit.

Seeing Yuri about to leave, Koko reached out and grabbed her by the hand, causing her to turn back around with a surprised look on her face. It was almost like her body acted on its own and when Koko realized what she had done, she withdrew her hand. "Leaving so soon? I thought, uh… maybe we could talk a little?" asked Koko with noticeably redder cheeks.

Yuri was initially nervous, thinking that Koko was still annoyed with her, but after seeing the way she was acting, she loosened up a bit. "Sure, but… don't you want to get your book signed first?" asked Yuri, motioning to Koko that she was next in line.

Koko looked to the author sitting behind a table then to the line of impatient people behind her. She quickly stepped up and got her book signed, thanking the author before embarrassingly hurrying off with Yuri. They found an empty bench outside the store and sat down to continue talking. "Sorry about that. I hope I'm not keeping you from anything," said Koko as she placed the book in her bag.

Yuri shook her head, feeling more at ease. "Not at all. The book signing was all I had going today, so I'm free for the remainder of it," she said. She then got more comfortable on the bench and looked to her hands in her lap. "So… what did you want to talk about? I hope you're not still mad at me from before…"

Hearing Yuri's soft voice was like music to Koko's ears. It was such a cute sound that hummed pleasantly in her head. Realizing that she was daydreaming, she quickly shook it off and replied to Yuri. What was happening to her, she wondered? "No! No. I'm not mad anymore. I'm actually… glad to see you," she said.

"You… are?" asked Yuri as she looked over to Koko.

Koko nodded with a smile. "Mmhmm. Yup. I've been looking all over the place for you, going so far as to even attend several book signings," she said.

"Oh. So that's why you're here. I did find it odd that I'd find you in a place like this," said Yuri.

"Well, actually, this time I was here for the book signing," said Koko. "All the other times, I went with the primary goal of finding you; getting the book signed was just extra. But time and time again, I failed to spot you. So eventually, I just gave up. This time, I went because I actually liked the book and wanted to get it signed for myself."

"I didn't think you were into this kinda thing," said Yuri.

"Initially, I wasn't. But then I read the book you left me out of curiosity, so I have you to thank for getting me into this new hobby of mine," said Koko.

Yuri smiled. "I'm glad," she said.

Koko then reached into her bag and pulled out the book she was talking about. It looked much more worn and used than when Yuri last saw it. Koko took the book and handed it to Yuri. "I guess I should be returning it now. Sorry you never got a chance to get it signed," she said.

Seeing the book nearly made Yuri gush. She took the book, giving it a longing look, then handed it back. "It was a gift. I bought another one and got it signed when I got to Patsio," she said. "I just can't believe I was on your mind all this time, just to return a simple book. You really are kind."

Returning the book really wasn't the reason why Koko was looking for Yuri, but she played along with it until she could bring herself to tell her the real reason she sought her out. But did she even know why herself? "Oh. Thanks then. It was the first book in my collection, so it's something special," she said, taking the book back and putting it away in her bag.

Yuri was silent for a moment then glanced away. "To be honest, I was- kinda… thinkin' about you too since we last saw each other," she said as she began to fidget in her place next to Koko.

"You were?" asked Koko, trying to hide her joy. "Why's that?"

"Well… I just felt so bad about how I treated you and all. I never got a chance to apologize properly," said Yuri while keeping her gaze away from Koko. She was lying as well and was actually thinking about her in a more romantic and fantastical way, but she couldn't bring herself to tell Koko the truth either just yet.

"Is that so? Well, I was kind of a jerk, so no apology is necessary," said Koko, a bit happy to hear that Yuri was thinking of her as well.

Yuri smiled, almost choking on her words. "If you say so," she said.

The two then sat quietly for a few moments, each of them lost in their thoughts. Koko was thinking about how to tell Yuri about the visions she had while Yuri was trying to come to terms with the feelings she had within for her. Eventually, Yuri mustered up the courage and broke the silence.

"Are you, umm… in a- relationship?" asked Yuri.

Koko almost wasn't sure if she heard her correctly as she snapped out of her thoughts. "Relationship?" she asked, looking to Yuri.

Yuri gave a slight nod, keeping her eyes down as she was too embarrassed to make eye contact with her.

Koko blushed, not having had that question asked too many times before. "I-," she said but just as she was about to answer, her stomach made a noticeably loud growl which made her cheeks redden even more. She placed her hands on her stomach and noticed how hungry she was. She then looked to Yuri who was trying to hide her smile behind a then raised hood. "Do you want to grab some lunch while we continue our conversation?"

Yuri stood up and glanced at Koko with a smile still on her face. "I'd love to," she said.

Koko let out a sigh then got up, looking around for a place to eat. Once she had a target in sight, she started walking followed closely by Yuri. Yuri walked happily alongside Koko, glancing over at her from time to time. Yuri's knight-in-shining-armor, though, Koko wasn't wearing her uniform or armor so she was just her knight-in-plain-clothes. Not quite as romantic sounding but Yuri was content to be with her nonetheless.

The two of them found a café and got some food, finding a table in the outside seating area to sit down and eat at. The weather was clear and temperate, so they didn't mind eating outside. They dug into their meals for a few moments to get some food in their bellies before continuing where they left off. Yuri sat patiently, slowly taking a bite of her food every now and then until Koko was good and ready to speak. After procrastinating for too long, Koko finally continued with her answer.

"So, before I was so rudely interrupted by my gut, I was going to say that I'm not currently in a relationship," said Koko.

Hearing the good news, Yuri tried her best to keep her excitement under control. She didn't want to scare away her prey by being too direct. It almost never worked, or least, in her romance novels anyway. "That's good to hear," she said, almost under her breath.

"Oh? Why's that?" asked Koko who heard what she said.

Yuri immediately got visibly flustered, not expecting Koko to have heard her. "I- No reason. I was just- Umm!" she said, looking away from Koko while fidgeting with her hands.

Seeing Yuri react that way made Koko wonder. As she thought more about it, things began to make more sense to her, especially after she considered the subject matter Yuri liked to read. Koko leaned back in her seat, looking to Yuri as if she were analyzing her every move. Yuri was still looking away, occasionally glancing back to Koko only to look away once their gazes met. Taking it as a sign, Koko decided to come clean and tell Yuri why she was really looking for her.

Koko mentally prepared herself and began to tell her story. "Hey. So there's something I want to tell you, and I know how crazy it'll sound so just hear me out. Okay?" she said.

Surprised by the sudden change in tone, Yuri turned fully towards Koko and gave her all of her attention. "Uh… okay. I'm listening," she said.

Koko then took in a deep breath and told Yuri everything, beginning with when she obtained the alternate timeline Koko's memories. She explained what happened with the other Koko and how it must've triggered the memory transfer. She then went on to talk about how she found Minerva during her search for the other Sabot Draconis members, and how it must've meant that her memories were real in some capacity. She finished up by telling her about the last thing that went through the other Koko's mind: a vision with her and what she supposed was Yuri acting like a happy couple. She decided to leave out the part about them potentially having kids so she didn't overload Yuri with too much to think about. When all was said and done, Koko just let Yuri soak in everything she had just told her.

"Wow. That is a lot to take in," said Yuri as she sat across from Koko, completely forgetting how nervous she was a while ago. "I've never read anything like that before in any of my books, so I'm not sure if that's the lamest pickup line ever or the most creative one."

Koko playfully scoffed at her. "Pfft. I never said I wanted to get with you. I'm just telling you what's in my head and what it could possibly mean," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Yuri rolled her eyes and glanced away, almost dejected. "What's the matter? Not into women or something?" she asked with an almost mocking tone.

Koko was about to respond but never had given it any thought before. She really didn't have a preference and just thought that handsome men were handsome and beautiful women were beautiful. She was a virgin also and hadn't had experience with either, but she was going to keep that fact to herself.

"It's not that; I like both equally, I guess," said Koko.

Yuri continued to pout, keeping her head turned away, though she was happy to hear Koko was into women at least. "So what is it? I'm not attractive or something?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest as well.

Koko sighed and rested her arms by her side. "It's just that why should something like visions or premonitions determine whom I should like? I mean, I barely even know you and don't want to, like, make you feel like you're being forced into this if you don't want to," she said.

"…who says I don't want to?" asked Yuri without budging, looking at Koko out of the corner of her eye. She wasn't quite ready to let her quarry go just yet.

Koko gave Yuri a firm stare, interlocking her fingers and placing her hands on the table. "Is there something you want to tell me, Yuri?" she asked. By that point, Koko had made up her mind and was just messing with Yuri since she was sure Yuri was doing the same with her.

Having been put in Koko's crosshairs, Yuri began to get nervous again and dropped the pouty-girl act. She lowered her arms and began to nervously play with her fingers. "…you're really going to make me say it?" she asked, keeping her focus on her hands.

"Say what? I have absolutely no idea what you're about to tell me," said Koko as she kept her gaze locked on Yuri. She wanted Yuri to confess first to buy herself time and make her own confession easier.

Yuri grumbled to herself as she tried to muster enough courage to speak. After several moments of grumbles and groans, she finally spoke up. "I… I kinda sorta…," she said before taking in a deep breath and exhaling slowly. She then looked Koko dead in the eye and said it. "I like you and- think I have a crush on you…"

Koko immediately blushed as it became increasingly harder to maintain eye contact with Yuri's expressive eyes. Even though she was pretty sure that was what Yuri was going to say, it was still a pleasant surprise to hear it from her. "Oh. Well, um. If we're doing all this confessing, I might as well confess something too," she said, looking away while fighting her own growing levels of anxiety.

Upon hearing Koko about to confess something as well, Yuri leaned forward and listened intently. She tried her best not to let herself smile and get her hopes up but she couldn't help it. A knowing grin began to pull at the corners of her mouth as she watched Koko become just as rattled as she previously was. "Hmmm?" she said as she poked and prodded Koko for fun.

Even after hearing Yuri's true feelings for her, it was still hard for Koko to say the same words back. She had never been in a relationship before and it showed. "You are- Er. I think you're," she said before looking up to Yuri with a groan. "I- I like you… too."

As the words registered in her head, Yuri finally let herself smile with satisfaction. That was exactly what she wanted to hear. "Not so fun when the tables are turned. Am I right?" said Yuri with a wink.

Koko grumbled as she tried to let all the stress fade away. "Yeah, well… you've probably done this plenty of times before, huh? This- This was my first time confessing to someone," she said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Yuri as she gave Koko a slighted look.

Seeing Yuri's expression, Koko quickly went about clarifying herself. "I mean, you're so beautiful and talented. Surely there'd been others before me…," she said.

Realizing that Koko meant no offense, Yuri relaxed again and smiled warmly. "Nope. You're my first as well," she said.

Koko was surprised by the fact and smiled as well. "So… what now? Are we a couple? Like, girlfriend and girlfriend?" she asked.

Yuri chuckled, feeling as content as could be. "I mean, unless you don't want to…," she said, playfully looking away.

"No. I want to. I totally want to," said Koko.

Not entirely convinced, Yuri reached out and took Koko's hands in hers, looking her deeply in the eye. "Reach deep down inside and think about what you really want, what you really desire. If it's to be in a loving relationship with me, then say it and it will be so," she said, unknowingly drawing from a scene from one of her romance novels.

Koko was caught off guard by the sudden touch of Yuri's hands and her intense stare. She then did as she was told and thought long and hard about what she wanted. After a few brief moments, Koko gave her answer. "I want… to be with you," she said.

Yuri smiled and leaned across the table, giving Koko a kiss on the cheek. "And so you are," she said, whispering into Koko's ear before withdrawing back to her seat.

Koko's heart fluttered as she reached up to feel where Yuri's lips had touched her cheek. She had never been kissed before and it felt nice, even if it was just on the cheek and not on the lips yet. She gave Yuri a warm smile and savored the moment. As she sat there thinking about their future together, Koko began to wonder.

Seeing a contemplative look on her new girlfriend's face, Yuri asked what was wrong. "Hey, you okay? Not having any second thoughts about all this, are you?" she asked.

Koko refocused on Yuri and shook her head. "What? No. Of course not," she said.

"Then what's the matter? You look like you've got something on your mind," said Yuri.

"To be honest, there's a lot on my mind. Like, what happens next? I mean, for us," said Koko as her tone become more somber. "We both live very different lives and at great distances from one another. Is one of us just supposed to quit the life they had always known to join the other? Will we both have to start anew? What-"

Before Koko could utter another word, Yuri reached out and placed a finger on Koko's lips. "You worry too much, you know that?" she said.

Koko remained silent as Yuri's delicate finger kept her mouth shut. Once it was removed, she calmed down. "I'm sorry. But how can I not? I want this to work out so I have to make sure I account for everything. I don't want to mess this up," she said.

Yuri gave her a reassuring smile. "You're not going to mess this up. You'll be just fine. I'm part of this relationship as well, so you're not alone," she said. "As for everything you're so worried about, we'll make it work- together."

Yuri's confidence and determination were comforting and put Koko as ease. Koko then placed a hand on Yuri's as a sign of gratitude. "Thanks. I'm glad you're able to look at this so calmly despite it being your first relationship as well," she said.

"Yeah, well. I try not to worry about things I don't have to yet," said Yuri as she leaned back in her seat.

"So what's the plan then?" asked Koko with a renewed sense of optimism.

"Hmm?" asked Yuri as she sat back up straight.

"The plan? For making all this work out?" asked Koko as she tried to remain optimistic.

"I dunno," said Yuri with a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders.

Koko's eye twitched. "But- But I thought- You said…," she said as she began to get stressed out again.

Yuri frowned slightly as she saw that her answer wasn't sufficient enough for Koko and was causing her more stress. She then quickly thought of something to put her back at ease and came up with an idea. "Here, let's start with this then," she said as she reached into her bag. "Let me see the book you just got signed."

Koko regained her composure and did as she was asked, retrieving the book from her bag. "What for?" she asked.

Yuri pulled out her own copy and exchanged it with Koko's. She then took out a pen and opened the book to the inside cover. "I'm going to write down the address of where I live in here. That way, we can at least keep in touch via letters and things like that. You can do the same with mine," she said, gesturing to the book in Koko's hands.

Koko looked to Yuri's copy of the book and took out a pen from her pack, writing her own address on the inside cover. "At least it's a start," she said.

Yuri nodded, closing the book and handing it back to Koko. "Yeah. We'll figure this out little by little, okay?" she said.

"Sounds like a plan," said Koko before exchanging books with Yuri.

After getting their books back, the two of them finished eating then left the café. Since Koko had to travel back home the next day, she and Yuri decided to spend the rest of the day in each other's company. Even though they had spent a few days together in the past, they still barely knew anything about one another. Whenever they did share a bit about themselves, Yuri mostly talked from the perspective of her nun persona and Koko mostly recalled things from the other Koko's memories. So, when they decided to spend the rest of the day together, they started over and began sharing more genuine things about themselves.

The two mostly spent their time walking around the town, chatting and occasionally finding a place to sit while they did. The minutes quickly turned to hours and before they knew it, it was already late in the evening. After grabbing a quick bite to eat for dinner, they chatted a bit more before it was time for bed. Koko and Yuri were standing off to the side of the road in front of the place where Koko was staying. Koko didn't want to leave just yet, but she had to get some sleep before her travels tomorrow.

"I guess this is where we part ways, huh?" said Koko. She looked to Yuri who was visibly disappointed.

"Yeah. I guess so…," said Yuri as she sulked in front of Koko.

"Hey, at least we had fun today, right?" said Koko as she tried to cheer Yuri up.

Yuri nodded solemnly. "Yeah. I did…," she said while still sulking.

"Aw, don't be like that. We'll see each other again soon enough," said Koko. "And don't forget. We can write each other now to stay in contact. That's something at least, isn't it?"

"…it's not the same," said Yuri.

"I know. But we'll just have to make do," said Koko, not liking the long-distance aspect of their relationship either. She then stood with Yuri for a few moments in silence, not wanting to leave her just yet.

Yuri fidgeted a bit where she stood then looked to Koko. "Are you… going to give me a goodnight kiss before you leave?" she asked.

Koko froze at the very mention of a kiss. They spent all day without any displays of affection whatsoever except for Yuri's kiss from the beginning. They hadn't even held hands since then. But now Yuri wanted her to give her a goodnight kiss? Koko was totally unprepared for such an intimate gesture. She looked to Yuri and noticed her demure stance and expression, her attention drawn to Yuri's luscious lips. Not wanting to keep her lover waiting, Koko psyched herself up and leaned in for a kiss. Unable to bring herself to aim for the lips just yet, Koko gave Yuri a tender kiss on the cheek.

Yuri had her eyes closed as Koko moved in and was expecting a kiss on the lips. As she felt it instead on her cheek, however, she smiled all the same and opened her eyes to see Koko withdrawing. "Not what I was expecting, but I'll take it," she said.

Koko blushed as she rubbed her arm. "Yeah. I'm not yet comfortable with-" she said before a finger ceased her words.

"Thank you. It was a lovely kiss," said Yuri with a smile as she withdrew her finger from Koko's lips.

Koko smiled back before clearing her throat. "Well, I guess I should be going now," she said.

"When are you leaving tomorrow?" asked Yuri.

"As soon as I wake up, so bright and early in the morning," said Koko.

"Okay," said Yuri as she sighed, still struggling with their impending separation. "Well, I suppose you should be off then. I don't want to keep you from getting a good night's sleep."

"Yeah. It's getting pretty late," said Koko as she took a couple steps towards the inn's front entrance. "Have a goodnight and… I'll see you soon," she said with a final wave.

Yuri gave a nod and waved back. "You too. I'll be waiting," she said.

After that, Koko forced herself not to turn back around and went inside, heading back up to her room. Once she was there, she made sure everything was in order for her journey the next day then went to bed, thoughts of Yuri still fresh in her mind.

#

It was the middle of the night and Koko stirred in bed. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around, wondering what might've woken her up. At first, she was laying on her back then decided to turn on her side towards the middle of the room. When she did, she was met with a mysterious figure lying right there beside her.

Koko jolted fully awake and sat up in bed, backing up against the wall as she lit the candle on her bedside table using magic. As the light from the lit candle illuminated the room, Koko could see the figure more clearly. She then noticed a suspiciously familiar-looking girl with long, black hair and a fair complexion.

Koko grimaced and relaxed a bit. "…Yuri?" she asked.

All the commotion and movement caused Yuri to stir awake as well. She yawned then opened her eyes to see Koko backed into a corner with a confused look on her face. "Is it morning already?" she asked before yawning once more.

Koko was not amused by Yuri's sudden appearance, but she couldn't stay mad at such a cute face for too long. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

Yuri smiled and wiggled further under the covers. "Sleeping. Or at least, trying to…," she said before closing her eyes.

Koko wasn't exactly in the mood for jokes and took the covers by hand, pulling them fully off of Yuri. Yuri winced and curled up into a ball as the cool night air suddenly wafted over her entire body. It seemed she had made herself at home and was only wearing a shirt and pants. She opened an eye to see Koko glaring down at her.

"…what?" asked Yuri as she played dumb with an aloof expression.

"You know what I mean. How did you get in here? Into my bed even? You even managed to undress and get under the covers without me even noticing," said Koko.

"Well… infiltrating undetected is kinda my thing, so…," said Yuri as she sat up in bed as well. As she looked to Koko, Koko crossed her arms over her chest and gave her an annoyed look. Yuri then sighed and gave her a straight answer. "I missed you," she said, giving Koko a sad-puppy expression. "And I didn't want to miss saying goodbye before you left."

Seeing Yuri like that completely lowered Koko's defenses. She dropped her arms and exhaled tiredly. "I thought we already said our goodbyes before we parted ways earlier," she said.

"Yeah, but then I started to miss you, so I decided to give you a little surprise," said Yuri. "I thought you'd be happy to see me once more before you go."

"It was quite the surprise, I'll give you that," said Koko with a slight chuckle.

"Are you… happy to see me?" asked Yuri as she began fiddling nervously with her fingers.

Koko could hardly withstand Yuri's cuteness and gave her another kiss on the cheek. "Of course I am," she said with a loving smile.

Yuri returned the smile with one of her own then hugged her legs against her chest, resting her chin on her knees. "You're not going to kick me out, are you?" she asked.

Koko shook her head. "I'm not going to kick you out," she said with a sigh.

"Does that mean I can sleep with you?" asked Yuri.

"If by that you mean sharing a bed to get some sleep, then sure. You can sleep with me," said Koko.

Yuri sighed with relief. "Good. There was no way I was going to sleep on the floor or anything like that," she said as she got more comfortable on her side of the bed. "And don't worry. I didn't mean the other thing when I asked if I could sleep with you. We haven't even kissed proper yet."

Koko blushed at the very mention of them engaging in such intimate acts together. She gulped, letting her eyes wander up and down Yuri's body as she laid innocently there beside her. Before she was noticed checking her out, Koko glanced away and cleared her throat. "Well, now that we decided that you're staying, I'm going back to sleep if that's all right with you," she said as she pulled the covers back up. She laid back down on the bed and pulled the bedsheets over both her and Yuri, turning to her before she extinguished the candle.

Yuri had her head turned to her with a content smile on her face. "Sweet dreams," she said.

"You too," said Koko as she snapped her fingers, snuffing the candle's flame out with a spell.

The two of them were laying on their backs together, staring at the ceiling through the darkness and unable to get to sleep. Koko wasn't able to rest easy and remained tense, not having shared a bed with anyone like that before. She slightly moved under the covers and accidentally brushed against Yuri's hand, causing Koko to jerk her hand away instinctively. The motion caused Yuri to giggle slightly as she rolled on her side towards Koko.

"You don't have to be afraid. I don't bite," said Yuri softly.

Koko's body tingled as the breath from Yuri's words tickled the inside of her ear. She then turned on her side as well, facing Yuri. Even though it was dark, the natural light from the window made it possible to see Yuri's face somewhat clearly. "I'm not afraid; I'm just…," said Koko as she was at a loss for words. "I don't know how to explain it. I'm just… overwhelmed?"

"Overwhelmed with happiness, I hope," said Yuri.

"That and- anxiousness, I guess. I just don't know what to do with myself," said Koko with an uneasy smile. "I've never been in bed like this with a cute girl before."

Yuri smiled, blushing at the compliment but the darkness made it hard to see her red cheeks. "You know, I've never been in bed with a cute girl either, but you don't see me being all stiff as a board," she said. "Just go with the new experience and take it in stride. Trust me. It'll feel a lot better and you'll enjoy it more." She then scooted closer to Koko, their faces then merely inches apart.

Koko's heart was pounding as Yuri's lovely face lay right in front of hers. Their eyes met and Koko swallowed nervously, wondering what was going to happen next. Yuri then closed her eyes and pursed her lips slightly as if to invite Koko in for a kiss. Koko froze, unsure if she was interpreting things correctly. Her heart nearly beat right out of her chest as she gathered up the courage to finally give Yuri a kiss on the lips. She then finally found the willpower inside and leaned forward, closing her eyes as well. Just as their lips were about to touch, Yuri smiled deviously and rolled over with her back facing Koko.

"Goodnight," said Yuri, a mischievous smile still on her face.

As Koko failed to give Yuri a kiss, she pouted and just stared at the back of Yuri's head for a few moments, completely disappointed that she took so long to make a move. She then exhaled with dissatisfaction and rolled onto her back.

"…goodnight," said Koko as she redirected her attention to getting to sleep.

#

The sunshine slipped through the cracks in the window and landed right on Koko's face. Koko stirred awake and winced as the rays of light were directly in her eyes. She squinted and moved so the sunlight wasn't so blinding, then noticing that Yuri was still asleep beside her. Yuri was on her side facing her again with a tranquil expression on her face. Seeing her there, Koko settled back into bed and just laid there, savoring the moment as she watched her lover continue to slumber so peacefully in the morning light. There were a few strands of hair covering Yuri's face, so Koko reached out and carefully moved them off to the side. Even though she said she was going to leave as soon as she woke up, she decided to wait around and enjoy Yuri's company a while longer. It wasn't like she had a strict time limit to get back to the Order or anything like that.

As Koko rested beside Yuri while she slept, she couldn't help but see Yuri's exposed tender lips glistening in the light. She frowned as she remembered the night before where she missed her opportunity to kiss her but maybe this was her second chance, she thought. She closed her eyes and moved back in for a kiss but suddenly, a voice rang in her ears.

"I hope you're not trying to steal my first kiss while I'm asleep, are you?"

Koko quickly opened her eyes to see Yuri wide awake and glaring disappointingly at her. Koko started to panic while choking on her words, sitting up in bed as she tried to apologize. Yuri then smiled teasingly after a happy sigh.

"If you wanted to make-out, all you had to do was ask," said Yuri with a sultry expression, looking up to Koko. She playfully licked her lips and bit her lip in a seductive manner.

Koko was having a hard time suppressing her more immoral urges as Yuri continued to tease her like that. Not wanting to let Yuri have all the fun, she decided to tease her back and not take the bait. It was a hard-fought internal struggle, but she managed to glance away as her body shuddered.

"M-M-Maybe I'm not in the mood anymore," said Koko as she kept her attention off of Yuri.

Yuri immediately saw through Koko's games and smirked. She then reached out and wrapped her arms around Koko's torso, bringing her close over her. "How 'bout now?" she asked, moving her hands around Koko's neck and interlocking her fingers.

Koko was positioned directly over Yuri with her arms propping her up, their faces lined up perfectly for a kiss. All she had to do was let go of her inhibitions and finally do it. Little did she know, Yuri was having the same internal struggle too and was nervous about interlocking lips with her partner. Yuri had just been teasing her and had ulterior motives for putting Koko in such positions. She did so to make it easier for Koko to make the first move so she didn't have to. Now Yuri had teased Koko too much and thus refused to make the first move.

Yuri gazed into Koko's eyes and began to push through her own hesitations. Having made it that far already, Yuri decided to just go for it and pulled Koko in close. Koko was about to speak until Yuri locked lips with her, closing her eyes while kissing her passionately.

Koko was completely caught off guard and unknowingly held her breath in after feeling Yuri's lips upon her own. As soon as it all processed in her head, Koko exhaled through her nose and closed her eyes as well, kissing Yuri back. She then moved fully on top of Yuri, straddling her waist without breaking their kiss. As their kissing continued, Koko began to lose control of herself and got more liberal with her touching. She rubbed Yuri's arm with her hand and ran it up and down its length.

A few more moments passed before the two of them withdrew, opening their eyes as they stared at each other lovingly. Both their hearts were beating fast as neither one could look away from one another. Koko then moved back in and smooched Yuri once more, also reaching up and grasping one of Yuri's breasts. She tenderly fondled it in her right hand as she continued to kiss her.

Yuri winced with a slight moan as she felt Koko groping her chest. "My! When did you get so bold all of a sudden?" she asked after Koko broke their kiss.

Koko was too lost in the moment to respond and moved on to kissing Yuri's neck as she moved on down her body. She removed her hand from Yuri's breast as she continued her journey downward, kissing her chest and stomach before arriving down further. Drunk with desire and yearning more, Koko grasped the sides of Yuri's pants and began to pull down but was promptly stopped by Yuri grabbing her wrist.

"Hey! Wait!" said Yuri as she prevented Koko from continuing on.

Koko stopped and looked to Yuri. "What's the matter? We're both virgins, right? We can both lose our virginities together. I promise, I'll be gentle," she said as she began to tug on the sides of Yuri's pants.

"Koko!" said Yuri as she jerked on Koko's arm which made her stop again. "Please. I'm not exactly…," she said as she began to quiet down, loosening her grip on Koko's arm. "I'm- I'm not a virgin."

Even though Koko was almost completely lost in her thirst, she started to sober up as she listened to Yuri's words. "Huh? You're not?" she asked as she let go of Yuri's pants.

Yuri shook her head. "No…," she said, her tone even quitter than before as she tried to avoid talking about her dark past.

"But… you said you've never been in a relationship before," said Koko as she moved further up on the bed next to Yuri. Yuri remained quiet as she diverted her gaze away. Seeing Yuri start to get emotional, it all began to click in Koko's head. "Oh, I'm- I'm sorry," she said.

Yuri wiped a tear away and shook her head, looking back to Koko. "No. It's my fault. I shouldn't have let things get out of control," she said before giving Koko a comforting smile. "It happened a long time ago, so I've mostly gotten over it. But… I'm just not ready to take things that far yet."

Koko gave a nod, rubbing her arm remorsefully. "I understand," she said, looking down away from Yuri. "I should have gotten a better hold of myself as well." The two sat together for a few moments in silence as they processed what had just happened.

"Talk about killing the mood, huh?" said Yuri finally.

Koko chuckled. "Yeah, well. I guess this would be a good time for me to take my leave then," she said as she crawled over Yuri. She sat on the edge of the bed and looked around the room. Her gear was on the table across the room with her boots placed beside a chair. Yuri's belongings were also on the table and her boots were neatly placed besides Koko's. "How did you get in here anyway?" she asked, turning her head towards Yuri.

Yuri sat up and scooted closer to Koko, draping her arms around her. "A girl's gottta have her secrets, no?" she said, nuzzling her cheek against Koko's back.

Koko caressed Yuri's hand then stood up to get ready. She went over to the rest of her belongings and began getting dressed. Still sitting on the bed, Yuri watched as Koko got ready, admiring her physique. After a while, Yuri got out of bed and began gathering her things as well. When they were both done, they went downstairs and left the inn. They stood together off to the side just like the night before, neither one wanting to leave first.

"Well, 'til next time?" asked Koko as she outstretched her hand for a handshake.

Yuri glared at Koko, looking from Koko's hand back to her face. She then playfully swatted the hand out of the way and hugged Koko in a tight embrace. "Just don't wait too long until then," she said, holding her lover close.

Koko beamed at the feeling of the sudden embrace and wrapped her arms around Yuri as well, caressing her back. She relished the feeling of Yuri's supple body pressed against her own, nuzzling her head against hers. After a brief silence, Koko spoke up.

"This may sound selfish and all, but…," said Koko as she continued to hold Yuri close. "…come with me. I have house we can live in together. There's plenty of things to do around the island. Though, there isn't much an assassin can do there, but if you decide to join the Order, I'm sure I can pull some strings so you'd get something you'd like."

Yuri smiled at the offer. "That does sound tempting but, even if I did want to go with you right now -which I do- there are some things I need to take care of first before I can do that," she said. "But once I get my affairs in order, at least I know where to find you so I can come be with you when the time comes."

"Oh, well. If that's the case, I'll be waiting for you then," said Koko.

Without letting the embrace linger for too long, Yuri regretfully withdrew as did Koko. They exchanged smiles then started off on their separate ways, Koko heading down the road while Yuri going in the opposite direction.


	3. Island Getaway

**===== Chapter 3 =====**

**Island Getaway**

After leaving Koko, Yuri went back home to Yoitz and told Monika all about her new girlfriend. She was so excited and couldn't stop gushing about Koko every chance she got. Once she got back, life for Yuri continued on like it had before while still conducting business for the Guild as an assassin. As time went on, Yuri yearned to be with her lover once more and set out to find her again. Taking the address that Koko had written in her book, Yuri went about trying to find out where it was exactly.

It took a lot of research and asking around, but Yuri finally managed to find where Broken Crescent Island was. Luckily, there was an Order of the Sacred Fire liaison office within Yoitz. She eventually found it but only after running around town asking everyone else about Koko's home and finding nothing. When she entered the liaison office, she inquired about the location of the island and told the liaison that she had a friend living there. The OSF liaison was more than willing to help, giving her directions to a port that had ships going to and from the island. Yuri was happy to finally find the information she was looking for and went back to her room to prepare for the journey.

Yuri knew it was going to be quite the trip, but she'd manage for the sake of being with Koko once more. She packed her backpack and satchel with everything she'd need and tried to dress for the warmer climate. She didn't like wearing warm-weather clothing, but she'd be miserable if she showed up in a tropical climate wearing her normal attire. Once she was packed, she said goodbye to Monika then left the room to begin her trip.

After a long journey, Yuri managed to find herself at the port on Lesser Broken Crescent Isle. It was late in the afternoon but she barely noticed the hot, humid air and relentless sun; she was just glad to finally be off that boat. She wasn't particularly fond of being on boats. She looked around and moved away from the docks, heading into the market place in search of a more precise location for Koko's home. After asking around a bit, she found out that Koko resided in a house on the beach. One of the shopkeeps even pointed her in the right direction and gave her specifics that would lead her there. Yuri thanked the shopkeep and went on her way, growing more and more excited to finally be with her partner once more.

Yuri followed the shopkeep's instructions and found herself walking along the beach. The heat and bugs began to get to her so she hurried along so she'd be out of the open. Eventually, a beach house came into view so Yuri paused and looked herself over, making sure she was presentable. It was the only house around so she guessed it had to be Koko's. She straightened out her shirt and jacket and made sure her cloak didn't have anything stuck on it. After passing her self-inspection, she trotted up to the door and knocked. She could hardly stay still as her heart pounded fervently. It had been so long since she'd seen Koko and she could barely take the anticipation. She heard movement inside and once the door opened, she pounced on whoever was on the other side.

"Surprise!" said Yuri as she wrapped her arms around the person and gave them a big hug. She held them tight and nuzzled her face against their chest. As she did, though, she felt a face full of fur and opened her eyes, backing away to see that it wasn't Koko whom she had embraced.

"Umm… can I help you?" asked Kia as she stood in the doorway, completely puzzled by Yuri's sudden appearance and warm hug.

Mortified by the mistaken identity, Yuri stepped back and withdrew into the relative safety of her hood, her cheeks reddening from the embarrassment. "Oh! I'm so sorry. I- Is this the Stormare residence by chance?" she asked.

Kia looked at the poor girl and shook off the surprise of what just happened. "Uh, yeah. This is where Koko lives. Can I help you?" she asked.

Yuri was relieved to be at the right place but her lover was still nowhere to be seen. "Is she available? I would really love to see her now," she said.

"She's away on a mission at the moment and won't be back for a couple days. If you'd like, I can relay a message to her once she gets back for you," said Kia.

Disheartened that she had to wait a couple of days to see Koko again after such a long journey, Yuri shook her head and sighed. "No message. I'll just come back later," she said as she began to turn around. She then stopped and turned fully back towards Kia. "Wait a sec. If this is Koko's place and she's not home, then who are you and what are you doing here?" Yuri's demeanor suddenly changed from a meek, shy girl to someone completely different.

Seeing Yuri's fierce eyes and sudden change in attitude, Kia shuddered and gave a prompt response, not being a fan of direct confrontations. "Me!? I'm- My name's Kia. I'm a friend of Koko's…," she said with a shaky smile.

"Just a friend or…?" said Yuri as she reached for the rapier at her side. She was not amused by finding another person in Koko's house and demanded answers.

Kia was completely intimidated by Yuri's aggressiveness and began to cower. "Just a friend! She told me to watch the house while she's gone! Please don't hurt me!" she said, crouching down with her hands over her head.

Yuri exposed her blade momentarily then pushed it back into its sheath at her side, letting out a sigh. She believed what Kia said and knelt down beside her. "Don't worry. I believe you. I'm not going to hurt you…," she said, placing a hand on Kia's back to calm her down. "A friend of Koko's is a friend of mine… so long as you're not lovers or anything like that."

Kia tensed up at first as Yuri got nearer then loosened up after hearing she meant no harm. "Don't worry about that. We're just good friends is all," she said as she stood back up. "So who are you, might I ask?"

"My name's Yuri. Yuri von Lucatile. Her girlfriend," said Yuri as she stood back up as well.

It took a second or two before Kia recognized the name. "Yuri? Oh! Yuri! So you're the one Koko's told me all about," she said as all the tension immediately left her body.

Yuri gave Kia a surprised look. "She told you about me?" she asked.

"Of course! You're the darling who stole her heart. And after she came back from that trip, the only thing she could talk about was you and how -erhem- cute you were," said Kia with a wink.

Hearing that Koko had been talking about her, Yuri began to blush again and grew quiet, a smile appearing on her face as she retreated into her hood. "Is- Is that so…?" she said.

Kia gave a nod. "Yup. You must be quite something to make her act that way. I've known her since childhood and she never acted like that before," she said. Seeing that they were just standing in the doorway, Kia moved out of the way and welcomed Yuri to come in. "But where are my manners? Please, come in. I'm sure Koko would love to see you when she gets back from her mission."

Yuri thanked Kia and followed her inside, taking note of the modest home's interior. "So… you're just watching her house while she's gone?" she asked, taking off her backpack and satchel and placing them on the floor off to the side.

"Yeah. Whenever she leaves for an extended amount of time, she lets me crash here since dorm life isn't all that great," said Kia as she moved into the kitchen. "Hungry? I was actually about to start cooking dinner if you want to join me. I can just cook a little extra for you."

Yuri was feeling a bit peckish after not having eaten anything since breakfast. Her stomach grumbled slightly as she looked to Kia in the kitchen. "If you don't mind me joining, then sure," she said. "Do you… need any help?"

"Nope. Just make yourself at home and leave everything to me," said Kia as she began gathering ingredients from around the kitchen.

While Kia began cooking dinner, Yuri wandered over to the dining table and took a seat there to rest her tired feet. As she waited for Kia to finish preparing their meals, she looked around and took in her surroundings. She also took the opportunity to chat with Kia and find out more about Koko. "So… you've known Koko since you were both kids?" she asked.

Kia was too entranced in her cooking that she almost didn't hear Yuri, but she managed to catch the question and replied. "Yup. Grew up on the island together. Both our parents were friends, so we often found ourselves playing together back then. When we became of age, we started training to become members of the Order," she said while continuing to cook.

Yuri continued to ask Kia a question every now and then as they came to mind. Before she knew it, Kia had already finished cooking and was bringing dishes to the table. "Wow. That smells delicious," she said as she gazed upon their meal.

"Hope you don't mind fish. It's a staple around here with us being on an island and all," said Kia as she placed the dishes on the table. She then retrieved a couple of clean plates and placed one in front of Yuri's spot and one in front of her own. Afterwards, she got each of them a set of tableware and a cup of water to drink before joining Yuri at the table.

"Thanks for the food," said Yuri as she inhaled the wonderful aroma of a home-cooked meal. "And, sorry for being such a jerk earlier when I first got here."

"It's no problem at all," said Kia with a smile, taking her utensils in hand. "And I get it. If I happened to arrive at my boyfriend's house and saw another person there, I'd be a bit unnerved too."

Yuri smiled as well then began cutting into her fish with her knife and fork. During their meal, Yuri and Kia continued to talk about Koko and lightheartedly gossiped about her behind her back. After they were done eating, they cleaned up the dinner table and kitchen before getting ready for bed.

"So, is there anywhere I can sleep or do I have to check in at the hotel in town?" asked Yuri as she looked around the house.

"Sleep? Um, here. You can take the bed in Koko's room," said Kia as she began preparing the bed for Yuri. "I'm sure it's what she'd want. And besides. If she came back and found out that I was still sleeping in her comfy bed while her girlfriend was confined to the couch, I'd never hear the end of it."

"Do you usually sleep in Koko's bed?" asked Yuri who was jealous of Kia.

"Only when I stay here," said Kia as she fixed the bedsheets. When she turned to Yuri, she saw her eyeing her suspiciously. "I mean, not together of course!"

Yuri kept up the stare then gave her a playful smile. "Don't worry. I know," she said as she brought her backpack and satchel into the room.

Kia quickly finished making the arrangements and got up. "Okay. It's all yours now. If you need anything, I'll just be out here," she said, motioning to the couch in the living room.

"Hmm? You're not going to be in the other bedroom?" asked Yuri.

"No. That's Koko's mom's room," said Kia with a somber tone. "It's kinda off limits, so don't go in there."

Yuri gave a solemn nod and thanked Kia again for the hospitality. After that, Kia left Yuri alone and went about doing something else in the house. Meanwhile, Yuri closed the door to the bedroom and looked around. She was finally standing in Koko's bedroom, her inner sanctum and most personal of sanctuaries. The fact nearly eluded her until she spotted several of Koko's personal belongings. She smiled to herself then sat on the bed, taking it all in. After poking around Koko's room, Yuri decided to call it a night. She was exhausted from traveling and needed to get some sleep. She stripped down to her pants and shirt then got into bed, relishing in the fact that it was where Koko usually rested her weary head.

Over the next couple of days, Yuri hung around Koko's house while she waited for her to come back. During the day while Kia was at work, Yuri just remained indoors and did her best to avoid the heat of the sun and the constant threat of bugs. Once in a while, she ventured outside just to get a better look of the ocean or feel the sand below her bare feet. When Kia came back from work, they chatted more together about themselves, Koko, and life in general. Yuri got to know Kia more and quickly became friends with her. She also learned a lot more about Koko and found out things that she hadn't previously talked about.

When the day Koko was expected to come back finally arrived, Yuri waited anxiously and prepared to surprise her. The day dragged on without any signs of Koko showing up yet, and as time went by, Yuri began to pout more and more as the anticipation continued to weigh on her. She laid around in Koko's room trying to stifle her excitement.

It was late in the afternoon and Kia was back from work about to begin making dinner. Yuri was nearly bursting with expectancy as she continued to lay in Koko's bed, waiting for her to finally come through the front door. Suddenly, she heard movement just outside the front of the house. Yuri perked up and hurried to the door of the bedroom, lying in wait for Koko to come in. Kia also heard someone approaching and stopped what she was doing in the kitchen to walk towards the front door.

Just as Kia was about to reach for the door, a knight wearing armor with vibrant red hair came bursting through. She dropped her bag onto the floor and tiredly let out a loud sigh as she embraced Kia.

"Urgh! I'm so tired!" said Koko as she buried her face into Kia's fluffy chest.

Kia was caught off guard by Koko's abrupt entrance and the following embrace, though, she was very much accustomed to Koko using her fur as a guilty pleasure. "Koko! Um, welcome back," she said as she embarrassingly turned her head to see Yuri stepping out from the bedroom.

Yuri just stood there in the doorway, watching with an unamused expression as Koko continued to cuddle against Kia's body. She then glared at Kia who raised her hands up to signify that it wasn't her doing that but instead Koko.

"Um- Koko? You have a visitor…," said Kia as she apprehensively glanced away from Yuri.

"Can't it wait! I've had such a horrible day and need this," said Koko as she held Kia closer and continued to nuzzle her chest.

Kia was completely embarrassed and looked back to Yuri with a shrug. Yuri huffed then audibly cleared her throat to get Koko's attention, crossing her arms over her chest. Hearing someone else in the room, Koko stopped her nuzzling and slowly peeked around Kia. She then saw Yuri standing there with an annoyed look on her face.

"Yuri? Is that you?" asked Koko as she stood up straight, fully in view of Yuri.

Seeing Koko's face clearly and clad in her armor made Yuri blush a bit. Koko looked so charming in her full uniform, Yuri thought. She tried to keep a grip on herself and continued her stoic expression. "What… is this?" she asked, motioning to her and Kia.

Koko was too overwhelmed by seeing Yuri after so long that she didn't hear her. "When did you get in? It's so good to see you!" she said as she began walking towards Yuri.

Yuri began tapping her foot and raised a hand in front of her. "You didn't answer my question," she said, a bit louder than before.

Hearing Yuri's voice, Koko stopped mid-stride and stood still. "Question?" she asked with a confused look on her face.

Kia just stood behind Koko, an amused look on her face as she looked from Yuri back to Koko. Normally, she would've been more panicked and freaked out by the whole situation, but fortunately, she and Yuri talked about this sort of thing potentially happening way before Koko got back home. After Yuri mistook her for Koko when they first met and gave her a big hug, she later told Yuri it reminded her of when Koko usually did it as well. She explained Koko's fondness for touching her fur and that the habit began way back when they were mere toddlers.

When Kia and Koko first met when they were very young, Koko thought Kia was a pet and often petted her as if she were a regular cat or something. Kia didn't think anything of it at the time and thought it was just how people greeted each other. As they grew up together, they realized that what they were doing wasn't normal but they continued it anyway since they were such close friends, but only in private of course. It was a completely platonic show of affection and it never escalated beyond Koko rubbing Kia's arms or nuzzling her face into Kia's chest. Kia didn't mind it in the slightest, so long as Koko never did it in public, and found it somewhat pleasing even.

Since Kia and Yuri talked about all that before, Kia wasn't nearly as worried as she would've been had they not. Seeing Yuri acting so irritated with Koko despite knowing all that, Kia figured she was just messing with her, or at least, that was what she hoped. She then smiled nervously as Yuri looked to her then back to Koko while repeating her question, asking what Koko was doing burying her face into Kia's chest fluff like that.

After hearing Yuri repeat the question, Koko trembled and looked to Kia then to Yuri. "O-Oh… that? That was- That was…," said Koko as she stammered on her words, completely embarrassed by the perceived notion of her and Kia doing inappropriate things.

Yuri was having a blast on the inside at Koko's expense. Seeing her girlfriend choke up like that was always something she had fun causing, but she couldn't let up. This was too good an opportunity to pass up.

"That was what? You greeting your new girlfriend? Or was she your girlfriend all along and I was just your- your side pet!" said Yuri, almost losing her composure by bursting out laughing.

"What!? No! No, of course not!" said Koko as she tried to defuse the situation. "Look. This is all one big misunderstanding. Okay? Please, it's not what it looks like." Koko was visibly distraught while trying her best to prove her innocence to Yuri.

Kia was getting a bit worried that things might get out of hand and motioned for Yuri to talk with her in private. Yuri acknowledged and had Koko sit at the dinner table with her hands on the table, not allowing her to move from the spot until they got back. Yuri and Kia then went into Koko's bedroom and closed the door.

"What's up?" asked Yuri, turning to Kia as she dropped the angry-girlfriend routine.

"Okay, I know you're just poking some fun at Koko, but don't you think she's had enough?" asked Kia with a concerned look on her face.

"Hmm? I have no idea what you're talking about," said Yuri as she smiled mischievously.

Kia let out a tired sigh. "Look. I know she's your girlfriend and all, but Koko's my friend too and I don't like seeing her so bothered and flustered. Besides, she said she was having a bad day so can you let her off the hook already?" she asked.

Thinking it over and taking Kia's concern into consideration, Yuri relented and gave a nod. "All right. I'll cut my fun a bit short. But Koko still owes me for this," said Yuri.

Kia smiled as well. "Do what you must. Just don't be too hard on her, okay?" she said.

"No promises," said Yuri as she got back into character. She then opened the door and followed Kia out back into the main room.

Seeing the two suddenly reappear, Koko perked back up and remained on alert. She was still sitting at the dinner table with her hands flat on the tabletop. "Is- everything all right?" she asked as she watched Yuri and Kia make their way back over to her.

Yuri stopped in front of Koko and pointed to her. "You and I need to have a little chat, so up you go and into the bedroom," she said, then pointing to Koko's bedroom.

After Koko turned to Kia with a worried look on her face, Kia just gave her a nonchalant shrug. "I'll just… cook dinner in the meantime," said Kia as she went back into the kitchen with an uneasy smile on her face.

Koko then gulped nervously and got up from her seat, walking towards her bedroom. "Yuri, please, I can explain everything," she said as she was herded into the bedroom by Yuri.

As Koko stood in the middle of the room facing her, Yuri followed her in and closed the door behind her. "Doff your armor. Now," she said.

Koko just stood there, growing more confused by the second. "You want me… to doff my armor?" she asked.

"Did I stutter?" asked Yuri as she cocked her head slightly to the side, a stoic expression plastered on her face. "And do it nice and slow so we can… talk."

Koko did as she was instructed and began removing her armor piece by piece. Yuri eagerly watched while keeping up the act but she was beginning to lose her poise. Koko was too busy doffing her armor to see Yuri slightly bite her lip in anticipation. After getting her bracers off, Koko moved on to removing her breastplate and pauldrons.

"So, about what happened…," said Koko as she undid her pauldrons and put them on the desk.

Yuri shook her head. "No no. Not yet. Turn around, if you will," she said, motioning with her hand for Koko to turn.

Anxious, Koko turned around so that her back was to Yuri. She then continued doffing her armor, moving on to her breastplate. She carefully undid the straps and finally removed it from her torso. As soon as she placed the piece of armor on the back of her chair, she felt someone come up behind her and embrace her in a hug.

Yuri held Koko close, pressing the side of her face against Koko's back. Her hands were wrapped around Koko's waist, clutching Koko's midsection in a loving fashion. "I'm sorry," she said simply as she nuzzled her cheek against Koko.

Koko was caught off guard by everything and froze up. "Wh- What?" she asked.

Yuri continued to cuddle Koko from behind. "I know Kia isn't your girlfriend and I know what you were doing wasn't romantic; she told me all about it when I first arrived here a few days ago," said Yuri. "It was just too good an opportunity to not mess with you for a bit. I'm sorry."

Upon hearing Yuri's declaration of guilt, Koko was a tad annoyed with her for causing her to worry so much. She broke away from Yuri's grasp and turned around to see her face-to-face. When she finally saw Yuri, she had a remorseful expression on her face which made Koko roll her eyes. She immediately forgave Yuri and held out her arms, inviting her back in for a hug. Seeing Koko's invitation, Yuri rushed into her arms, her eyes nearly tearing up.

Koko held her close and smiled, finally reunited with her lover. "If it's all right with you, I'd very much appreciate it if you didn't do this kind of thing anymore. I don't think my frail heart can take any more of that kind of abuse," she said.

Yuri chuckled, holding Koko close once more. "Okay… only if you promise not to make me jealous anymore by engaging in intimate acts with other people," said Yuri.

Hearing Yuri's request, Koko smirked and rubbed Yuri's back. "That's fair. I promise," she said.

After a brief moment together, Yuri looked Koko in the eye then kissed her on the lips, caressing her body with her hands. Koko kissed her back, holding her partner close in her arms. Not having seen Koko in so long, Yuri completely let herself go and was more aggressive in her kissing and fondling. She let her hands wander all over Koko's backside, even passing and lingering on her rear end for a bit. She then began to get tired of standing and began maneuvering Koko backwards over to the bed. Koko followed Yuri's lead and allowed herself to be guided over to the bed without breaking their kiss. Once they were in position, Yuri continued to guide Koko's body and got her on top of the bed.

Koko's heart raced as she too had been yearning for Yuri's affection after having been away from her for so long. She matched Yuri's ferocity in their kissing and soon found herself lying on her back with Yuri positioned over her. The positions were reversed from their last make-out session as Yuri then straddled Koko's waist.

After a while, Kia came by the bedroom to see if Koko and Yuri were okay. She pressed her ear against the door to see if she could hear anything, but little did she know was that the two lovebirds were engaged in a heavy make-out session. Kia blushed at the discovery and quietly moved away from the door, but suddenly, she had a devious idea and decided to have some fun of her own. She knocked on the door and loudly said, "Dinner's ready!" She then snickered and returned to the kitchen to bring everything to the dinner table.

Inside the bedroom, Yuri and Koko were startled by the sudden interruption and ceased their kissing. They just looked at each other, panting slightly from the exhilarating experience. They then smiled and decided not to keep Kia waiting, getting up off the bed to join her for some dinner. Besides, they had all night to continue where they had left off. Before heading back out into the main part of the house, Koko finished doffing her armor and removed her belt, shin guards, and boots. All she had on then were her shirt, pants, and some slip-on shoes. Yuri made sure she was tidy as well and followed Koko out of the room.

Back in the dining area and kitchen, Kia had already set the table and brought the food over to it. She was sitting in one of the seats and watched as Yuri and Koko made their way over to her. "Did you two hash everything out and… kiss and make up, as it were?" asked Kia with a wily snicker.

Koko gave her a glare as she sat down at the table. "How long were you listening in on us?" she asked.

"Couldn't have been more than a few seconds. I only came by to let you know that the food was ready," said Kia. "But don't worry. Once dinner is over, I'll grab my things and leave you two to- you know, catch up on things."

After the three of them settled in at the dinner table, they began to dig in to their meals. Kia had prepared another fish dish which was cooked to perfection and complimented by a couple side dishes. Over the course of the dinner, Kia, Koko, and Yuri talked amongst themselves about all sorts of topics. During their chat, Yuri told Koko about her arrival at the island and the few days she spent there along with Kia. Once dinner was over, Kia helped them clean everything up then took her leave, heading back to the dorms.

It was late in the evening and Yuri and Koko finally found themselves alone inside the house. Koko got changed into more casual clothes, wearing a basic shirt, pants, and slip-on shoes. After freshening up after a long day, Koko went over to her room to find Yuri waiting eagerly on her bed, lying in a seductive pose. As she entered the room, Koko smiled at the sight of Yuri wearing only her pants and shirt as well, closing the door behind her.

"So… where were we?" asked Yuri with a promiscuous expression, gesturing for Koko to come over to her with her finger.

Koko hurried over and crawled onto bed with her, moving over her as their gazes met. "Yes, do refresh my memory," she said as she moved in closer to Yuri, propping herself up with her arms.

Yuri just smiled at her then wrapped her arms around Koko's neck, bringing her in close for a kiss. Koko kissed her back and laid on top of her, letting all her passion out as they locked lips and groped each other. The two of them continued to show each other affection in many different ways, spending the better part of the night in each other's loving presence.


	4. Finding Happiness

**===== Chapter 4 =====**

**Finding Happiness**

After giving up her life as an assassin and traveling to Broken Crescent Island to be with Koko, Yuri had to find another job to provide a steady source of income to preoccupy herself with. Shortly after moving in with her girlfriend, Koko suggested Yuri join the Order. Yuri was reluctant at first, not particularly liking the notion of being a knight and working strictly for the forces of good, but Koko eventually convinced her to give it a shot. Over the next few days or so, she taught Yuri the basic curriculum of an Order of the Sacred Fire trainee, hoping to give her a better chance of getting through the course.

When the next training class was about to start, Koko helped Yuri enlist and enrolled her into the basic training program, wishing her the best of luck. Yuri put up with it all and feigned being excited to make Koko happy. She went through the course and did her best, surprisingly graduating a bit early. She figured Koko pulled some strings and used her influence to help her out, which was fine by her. After graduating and becoming a full-fledged member of the Order, she was given the rank of Knight and immediately assigned to Koko's unit under her direct supervision. Using the last of her contacts within the training cadre and OSF leadership, Koko begged them to allow Yuri to bypass the mandatory, year-long commitment doing menial tasks as an augmentee in order to be assigned to her team. Thankfully, they granted her request and allowed Yuri to join Koko's unit early.

For the next few months, Koko and Yuri did missions together for the Order with Koko acting as the commanding officer and Yuri a member of her team. They mainly did minor missions that mainly included hunting down troublesome creatures and the like. Yuri wasn't a fan of wearing a uniform and fighting creatures head-on, but for the sake of being with Koko, she continued to endure it regardless of how much she disliked it.

As time went on during her tenure as a knight of the OSF, everything Yuri hated about it began to wear on her and become too much to suppress. One night, she had reached a breaking point and couldn't hold in her frustrations and feelings any longer.

One night, while Koko was lying in bed, she heard an odd noise coming from somewhere in the house. She rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed, noticing that Yuri was not next to her. Realizing that she was gone, Koko called out for her, "Yuri? Are you okay?" After getting no response, she decided to get out of bed to investigate the noise.

As Koko moved closer to her bedroom door, the noise became louder and more discernable. It sounded almost like whimpering or weeping. She left her room and stood just outside the bathroom door which was closed. She listened closely and heard that the sounds seemed to be coming from within there. Again, she called out for Yuri, "Yuri? Are you in there? You okay?"

After hearing Koko's voice calling out to her, Yuri shuffled around within the bathroom. "I'm- I'm fine," she said from behind the door as she tried to stifle her crying.

Concerned by hearing Yuri's voice followed by stifled sobbing, Koko opened the door to find Yuri standing before her with teary eyes. Immediately after seeing her, Koko got really worried and placed a hand on Yuri's shoulder. "Have you been crying in there all alone? What's the matter?" she asked, giving her arm a comforting rub.

Yuri tried to give Koko a reassuring smile, but her sobs interfered with that. As she tried to speak, nothing but hiccups came out as more tears began to flow from her eyes. Seeing her partner in such a distressed state, Koko led Yuri back into the bedroom and sat her down on the bed to talk things out.

Once they were sitting on the bed next to each other, Koko brought Yuri in close for a hug. "It's okay, Darling. I'm here for you. Now just tell me what's bothering you so we can get you into a better state. You're scaring me," said Koko as she continued to console Yuri in her embrace.

Yuri just held Koko close as she tried to get her emotions under control, continuing to cry as the two of them sat together. Koko sat patiently beside her as she waited until Yuri was ready to talk. After a bit more crying, Yuri was finally in a state where she was able to speak clearly.

"It's- It's nothing. Don't worry about it," said Yuri as she continued to hold on to Koko.

Koko wasn't going to let it slide as whatever was bothering Yuri seemed to be quite significant. "I am worried. Please, tell me what's bothering you. Whatever it is, it's making you unhappy. And seeing you unhappy makes me unhappy," she said.

Yuri shook her head as tears began to form in her eyes again. "I- I can't," she said.

"I'm not going to let you go until you tell me. We're in this together, so your problems are my problems and I'll do whatever I can to help you through them," said Koko as she kept Yuri in her loving embrace.

Yuri tried her best to resist telling Koko in order to avoid hurting her feelings, but the more she tried, the more it hurt, so she decided to come clean and tell Koko everything. "I… I hate it here," she finally said under her breath, wincing as it sounded much harsher than she intended it to.

Koko flinched at what Yuri said, loosening her grip slightly on her lover. "Huh?" she asked, unsure if she had heard her correctly.

Yuri began to get emotional again as she didn't want to continue on if it meant potentially offending Koko, but she had to let it all out. It hurt too much to keep it all bottled up inside her. "I don't like being here," she said.

Koko started to get anxious, wondering what Yuri meant by that. "You mean… with me?" she asked, feeling a knot begin to form in her gut.

"No, silly. You're about the only good thing in my life right now," said Yuri with a slight smile, hugging Koko close.

"Then what? What do you mean you don't like being here?" asked Koko, relieved that she wasn't the immediate source of Yuri's troubles.

Yuri then sighed and explained what had been troubling her so all that time. She began by telling Koko how much she despised being constantly assaulted by bugs and how on edge she'd been because of it. The buzzing of flying bugs around her head and the occasional creepy-crawly she found while walking around the island. It was all so very disturbing that she hadn't been able to sleep well at night because of it, even with Koko by her side. During the day, she often found herself ducking her head or avoiding an area because of bugs and insects which the constant heat didn't help with. The hot and sticky climate of the island also bothered Yuri greatly. It was always uncomfortably hot which made her sweat and she constantly got burned by being under the direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time. It didn't help that she had to wear a uniform and couldn't wear her cloak to block the sun's rays and to protect herself from pesky flies. That led to another thing that bothered Yuri: her employment as a knight of the Order. She didn't like the institutionalized nature of the Order with all its rules and regulations. Sure the Guild had its fair share of rules, but they were simple enough to follow and didn't stifle individuality like the Order did. She also didn't like being on the front lines, exposed to direct combat all the time. She was an assassin who struck from the shadows, but as a knight of the Order, she had been reduced to a mere grunt. And to top it all off, she couldn't go into town and relax from it all like she normally did back in Yoitz. The small port town of Seaside on Lesser Broken Crescent Isle just didn't offer the same amenities larger cities did that Yuri was so very accustomed to. Most of the time, she just went home and turned to Koko to help relieve her stress, but that wasn't always a readily available option. After Yuri was done griping, she remained silent and continued to hold on to Koko.

Koko just sat there, taking it all in as she realized what had been causing Yuri so much strife. After thinking on it for a few moments, she spoke up to break the silence. "If that's the case, then let's go. We can move somewhere far from here where you won't have to deal with any of this anymore. I'm willing to leave it all behind if it means being in a place where you can be more comfortable and happy again," she said.

Yuri was surprised by Koko's words, almost unable to believe it. "You- You are? But this is your home," she said, almost regretting telling Koko everything and possibly making her feel guilty.

"It's just a house and this is just an island. It'll always be here if we decide to come back. And in the meantime, I could even let Kia stay here as a permanent resident," said Koko as she tried to make Yuri feel better.

"But what about the Order? Can we really just leave without saying a word?" asked Yuri.

"Don't worry about that. We can turn in our resignations as early as tomorrow and have it processed in just a day or so. I can handle all the paperwork so you won't have to worry about that. After it gets approved, we can be on our merry way," said Koko as she caressed the back of Yuri's head.

Yuri managed to stop crying and looked up to Koko, giving her a feeble smile as their stares met. "Do you really mean it? We can start a new life somewhere else? Together?" she asked.

Koko gave her a reassuring smile and nodded. "We can. Just say the word and we can be gone by the end of the week," she said.

"I just… don't want to make you feel like you're being forced to do all this for me. I can try and adapt to all this if this is where you truly want to be," said Yuri.

"No, my Darling. Wherever you want to be is where I want to be. So if you don't want to be here, then neither do I," said Koko. "Besides, I know you've tried really hard to get used to this new life already, and for that I'm thankful. So allow me to return the favor by giving you the life you want."

Hearing Koko's words made Yuri tear up once more, though, not out of grief but instead out of hope. "Thank you, my Love. Then please, rescue me from this place as soon as possible," she said, burying her face in Koko's chest.

Koko patted Yuri on the back as she smiled warmly. "As you wish," she said. "Where would you like to go?"

Yuri sat there, thinking about where they would go next. Suddenly, an idea popped into her brain as she remembered something a close friend once told her. "I think I have a place in mind. You handle everything here and I'll arrange plans for our new home," she said.

"Are you going to tell me?" asked Koko, curious as to what Yuri had in mind.

"It's a surprise. Trust me. You're going to love it," said Yuri.

"Is it your old home, Yoitz?" asked Koko.

"Even better," said Yuri, barely able to contain her anticipation.

Koko just smiled at her then gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "Okay then. A surprise it is. Now let's get back to sleep. After we wake up, I'll begin putting everything in motion for our departure," she said as she moved back into position on the bed.

Yuri smiled and followed her, returning to her spot next to her in bed, cuddling up close to Koko as she rested her tired eyes.

In the morning, once they awoke from their slumber, Koko got to work arranging for their resignation from the Order. She headed over to the headquarters on Greater Broken Crescent Isle and filled out the appropriate paperwork for both herself and Yuri. Her superiors were disappointed to see her go, but they couldn't stop her; however, in order to severe Yuri's ties to the Order completely, Koko had to agree to be put on reserve status instead of being fully separated. While on reserve status, Koko was able to be recalled to the Order and put back on active status from anywhere and at any time. The chances of that happening were very low, with the only instance of it might actually occurring being in the event of a world-ending crisis. Koko thanked her superiors and left to meet back up with Yuri to tell her the good news.

While Koko was taking care of that, Yuri was writing a letter to her cousin, Karen, to arrange a meeting with Arin so they could talk about potentially moving to Gilderland. She wanted someone to scout ahead and get an idea of what was available before she and Koko arrived there. In the letter, she detailed what she was looking for in a possible property, giving some general preferences. When Yuri and Koko met Arin in person, they'd go into more detail about what they were looking for, making decisions together as a couple so they'd both be happy. Before wrapping up the letter, she gave Arin a rough estimate about the price range they could afford at the moment. It wasn't much, but as long as they found something, they could make it work. Once she was done writing the letter, she sealed it up and dropped it off at the post office in Seaside.

After taking care of business at the headquarters, Koko returned home and met up with Yuri, telling her they could leave in a couple days. In the meantime, she began to clean up the house to make it ready for Kia to move in as its new permanent resident. After several years of keeping it closed off for use, Koko finally managed to open up her mother's bedroom door and stepped inside. Everything was exactly the way she had left it aside from a layer of dust. All her mother's belongings had been put away in the closet and the furniture had been left undisturbed, just as Koko had left it the day her mother had passed away. Koko couldn't help but feel a bit emotional, seeing the empty bed there, but Yuri was there with her, standing beside her as she held her hand to comfort her. After saying a few words for Koko's deceased mother, they went about cleaning the room and moving all of Koko's possessions into there, at least, the things she wasn't going to immediately take with her. They used what space remained in the closet so store things then began placing boxes neatly off to the side in a corner of the room.

Once Koko's room was cleared, they cleaned it up and prepared it for Kia to take over as her own. As soon as it was ready, Yuri and Koko left to tell Kia the good news and she was more than happy to accept the offer. Even though Kia was sad to see Koko go, Koko reassured her that they'd visit the island again and if Kia ever got the chance, she was more than welcome to come visit them. After breaking the news to her, they helped Kia move her things into her new room at Koko's house.

The cleaning of the house and moving of items from Koko's room to her mother's bedroom, then Kia's dorm room to the house, took around a day and a half, so by the time they were done, the paperwork at higher headquarters was also completed. Koko and Yuri were free to leave at their earliest convenience, so when they finally got word, they picked up their bags and began the long journey to the Kingdom of Gilderland.

Along the way, Koko began to grow more curious and asked Yuri where they were headed. "So, I know it's a surprise and all, but is there anything you can tell me about where we're going?" she asked.

"Hmm? You don't trust me or something?" asked Yuri as the two of them walked along down a main road, carrying backpacks and other bags containing a good portion of their belongings.

"No. It's not that. I'm just curious is all," said Koko.

Yuri thought for a moment, trying to think of something to tell her without giving their destination fully away. "Well, it's not an island, but there are places around where you can still swim. There's a big city situated next to a wonderful castle that has everything you could ever want. It doesn't get too hot and there are hardly any bugs around all year long," she said, reminiscing about her homeland.

"Sounds like just the place for you," said Koko with a chuckle. "How do you know of this place? Have you been there before?"

"It's a bit complicated, but yeah. You can say I've been there before…," said Yuri as she hesitated telling Koko more about her past.

"Complicated, huh? This is starting to sound sketchy in my honest opinion," said Koko as she turned her head towards Yuri. "You sure you can't just tell me where we're headed?"

"And ruin the surprise? Oh c'mon, Koko. Just trust me. It's going to be fine," said Yuri.

"All right then," said Koko as she placed her hands in her pockets. After walking for a few minutes in silence, she began probing Yuri for more information. "So what about our new house? How do you plan on taking care of that?" she asked.

"I've got it covered, Koko. Just leave it to me," said Yuri.

Koko then walked over to Yuri's other side as she continued asking questions. "Covered, huh? How so? You suddenly inherit a large sum of money that I'm not aware of?" she asked.

Yuri eyed Koko as she watched her switch sides. "No. I sent a letter to a contact of mine ahead of our arrival. They're going to look into things and take care of it," said Yuri as she started to get slightly annoyed.

"Contact? Like… an assassin buddy of yours?" asked Koko.

Yuri grumbled but kept her composure. "I know other people than just assassins, you know. Take yourself for instance," she said.

Koko playfully gasped, placing a hand to her mouth. "Oh! You mean… like another lover?" she asked before snickering.

Yuri just grumbled again. "You know what I mean," she said.

"So if they're not a friend of yours from the Guild, who are they?" asked Koko.

Yuri was really beginning to get annoyed by Koko's constant pestering, but then she exhaled deeply. She figured if she didn't tell Koko everything before they got to the kingdom, she'd have to do it when they got there anyway. If she waited until then, she'd have to explain everything which would stall them from getting to the real business at hand. After coming to that conclusion, Yuri sighed once more and prepared herself. She then looked to Koko as they walked and held her hand.

"All right. You win. I'll tell you everything," said Yuri.

After feeling Yuri's hand in hers, Koko turned to her and saw the serious expression on her face. "Uh, okay, Darling. I didn't mean to make you ruin the surprise or anything," she said.

Yuri shook her head then gave a smile. "Don't worry. I was going to tell you all this anyway, so I might as well get it all out of the way so we can enjoy ourselves when we get to our destination," she said.

Koko gave a nod then listened intently. "Okay. Go ahead then. I'm listening," she said.

After a bit of apprehension, Yuri finally came clean and told Koko where they were headed, telling her all about her past. She told her about her lineage and royal ties, her uncle's coup and death of her parents, her life as an orphan on the streets and the horrible things she had to endure, her meeting with Monika and her training to become an assassin, and her uncle's assassination and her subsequent refusal of the throne.

Koko had no idea that Yuri had been through so much before meeting her. After hearing everything, she just hugged Yuri close and thanked her for telling her all that, saying that she'd keep her secret close as well. The two of them continued on with their journey and eventually passed Gilderland's border.

As they did, they began to see more trademark signs that they were getting close to the capital. There were golden fields of wheat and rolling hills of green. There was a slight breeze and Yuri could swear she smelled the scent of fresh-baked bread on it. All the sights, sounds, and scents brought a smile to Yuri's face as she began to reminisce about her homeland. Soon enough, they ended up arriving at the capital of the Kingdom of Gilderland.

"Wow, so this- this is your kingdom?" asked Koko as they arrived at the main gate leading into the city.

"Technically, but I gave up my right to rule, so it's not really mine at the moment. But it could be mine if I so choose to take back the throne. How 'bout it, Koko? Wanna be my bride and rule over an entire kingdom together?" asked Yuri with a playful smirk.

Koko smirked as well, shaking her head at her. "I don't think that's my style. It sounds like too much work," she said.

Yuri shrugged as she looked around her surroundings. "Yeah. You're right. But maybe one day…," she said.

"And you think your cousin would just let you have it back?" asked Koko as she followed Yuri inside.

"I'm sure he would. He's nice like that and offered it to me in the first place, but I declined at the time. I'll let him keep it for the time being. I'm not quite ready nor wanting to take the throne for myself," said Yuri as she continued to search for something, or rather, someone.

Koko noticed her scanning the crowds and offered to help. "What are you looking for?" she asked.

"My cousin, Karen, or one of her knights. Arin told me if I ever needed to get in touch with him, I should tell Karen or one of her subordinates a secret passphrase. Then Karen would meet me at a specified location to take me to him," said Yuri.

"How can you tell if a knight is one of your cousin's subordinates?" asked Koko.

"They'd be wearing a special badge signifying them as a member of her special unit. Her subordinates are also all female, so that narrows it down greatly," said Yuri as she continued to walk around, keeping an eye open.

"So what's this phrase you're supposed to tell them?" asked Koko.

Hearing Koko's question, Yuri went over to her and whispered in her ear. "The phrase is: 'the pup is in need of its mother', but don't say it out loud," she said.

The two of them continued searching around and made their way to the more well-off part of town near the castle. Eventually, Yuri spotted one of Karen's knights and turned to Koko. "All right. Found one. I just hope Arin set everything up like he was supposed to," said Yuri as she began walking over to the knight who was casually strolling down the road. Yuri nonchalantly came up beside her and addressed the knight politely. "Um, excuse me, ma'am?" she asked.

Hearing Yuri behind her, the knight turned around and faced her. "Yes? How can I be of service?" asked the knight. She was a human named Natasha and she was fully clad in Royal Guard armor with a longsword sheathed at her side.

Yuri gave her a welcoming smile then came closer to her. "The pup is in need of its mother," she said quietly before withdrawing.

Natasha eyed Yuri closely then gave a slight nod. "Head to the rendezvous point. Lady Karen will meet you there," she said before hurrying off to relay the message to her commander.

Yuri was worried at first, but once the knight acknowledged and left, she relaxed. "Well, you heard the lady. To the rendezvous point," said Yuri to Koko as they headed towards a specific tavern within the city.

"Does she know who you are? She seemed to be off in a hurry," said Koko as she followed alongside Yuri.

"I don't think so," said Yuri. "It was just probably the fact that the phrase was arranged by the King personally, so she must've guessed it was related to something very important."

"Oh. But your cousin, Karen, knows. Right?" asked Koko.

"Yeah. She knows. She's going to help us get into the castle to meet with Arin. Though, I haven't seen her in years," said Yuri.

"Then how's she supposed to recognize you?" asked Koko.

"Oh, she'll recognize me. We spent a lot of time together in our youth," said Yuri.

"Were you two close?" asked Koko.

"Uh, not exactly. I was close with Arin, but Karen- not so much. We didn't exactly see eye-to-eye," said Yuri as she remembered all the times she and Karen fought as children.

"So it's like that, huh? Do you think we can trust her then?" asked Koko.

"Yeah. We should be all right. She's the Captain of the Royal Guard, after all. And she's also Arin's sister, so she wouldn't do anything to make him angry, since he's the King and all," said Yuri.

Soon enough, Yuri and Koko arrived at the appointed rendezvous site and went inside. They found an empty table off to the side and sat down, waiting for Karen to arrive. While they waited, Yuri told Koko a bit more about the city and things to do and see around it. Eventually, Yuri heard a familiar voice as a knight fully clad in armor came over to them.

"So… she wasn't kidding. You really are here," said Karen as she stood by the table in front of Yuri and Koko.

Yuri looked to the knight and saw a human woman standing there with short, blonde hair and blue eyes. She had on the same armor as Natasha, only a bit more ornately decorated which signified her position as Captain of the Royal Guard.

"Hello, Lady Karen. Good to see you too," said Yuri.

Karen just gave her a smirk then looked to the two knights accompanying her, one of which was Natasha. The other knight was a female human by the name of Marianne. She was Karen's second-in-command and best friend. She had the same armor as Natasha and wielded a halberd.

"All right, cuff her," said Karen as she motioned to Yuri. She then looked to Koko and asked, "This one with you?"

"Yeah. She's with me," said Yuri as she calmly allowed Marianne to arrest her, having a pair of manacles secured on her wrists in front of her.

Koko gave Yuri a concerned look but she just held out her hands, reassuring her that it was going to be okay. Koko then looked to Natasha and held out her wrists, allowing the knight to cuff her as well using a pair of iron manacles. Once Yuri and Koko were restrained, the knights lifted them to their feet and led them out of the tavern. Yuri was at the front of the group with Karen beside her while Koko and Marianne followed behind them with Natasha picking up the rear.

"So, why come back home after all this time?" asked Karen as she looked to Yuri.

"Just calling in a favor," said Yuri as she kept her attention forward, not wanting to look at Karen. "I assume you got my letter?"

Seeing that Yuri wasn't going to face her, Karen scoffed at her then looked forward as well. "Seems you haven't changed, _your majesty_," said Karen in a sarcastic manner. "And yes. I received your letter. I passed it on to Arin as you had requested."

Yuri glanced at Karen momentarily out of the corner of her eye then looked back forward. "…thank you," she said.

"Yeah, well don't get used to this. I'm only being nice because it was only through certain circumstances, in which only a few of us are privy too, that the last king was suddenly relieved of his title, allowing Arin to be crowned king," said Karen.

"So… he told you about that?" asked Yuri.

"Of course. Who else was going to cover it up?" said Karen.

"Is that what happened?" asked Yuri.

"Yeah. Made it seem like a guard still loyal to your father carried out the assassination," said Karen. "

"Well, thank you again," said Yuri.

"Oh please. It was Arin's idea anyway. I just did as I was commanded," said Karen.

As they were catching up on things, Karen led the group to the castle and entered using a side-entrance that led down into the dungeon. Once they were inside, Karen dismissed her escort which left her alone with Yuri and Koko inside the detention in-processing area.

"Okay, so you're taking us to Arin now, right?" asked Yuri as she stood in front of Karen with her wrists still cuffed together.

Karen grinned then snapped her fingers. "Not quite," she said as Natasha and Marianne returned, each of them holding a set of prison clothes.

Yuri watched them enter then glared at Karen. "You can't be serious," she said.

"Sorry. I'm a slave to appearances," said Karen with a devious smirk. "Now, if you'd be so kind…" Natasha and Marianne approached Yuri and Koko and dropped the clothes on the floor in front of them. They then unlocked their manacles before stepping back beside Karen.

"Why are you doing this?" asked Yuri as she stood there, refusing to change into the prison garb.

Seeing Yuri's reluctance to strip and change, Karen just smiled. "Ladies…," she said, looking to her knights beside her. Natasha and Marianne gave a nod in acknowledgement then drew their weapons, keeping them pointed at Yuri and Koko. "Let's just say I haven't forgotten what you did to me back when we were kids," said Karen as she held her hands behind her. "My teeth… were black… for a month!"

Yuri smirked, remembering the prank that caused that as well. "If I do recall, Arin was in on it as well," she said.

"But you were the mastermind behind it all. Because of that, the other girls never let me live it down! They always made fun of me whenever they could," said Karen. Natasha and Marianne exchanged confused looks then refocused on Yuri and Koko.

"Well, we were kids, so I'm sorry if the little prank affected you this badly," said Yuri, anxious to get this all over with and meet with Arin. "Now, can we get going? I've got business to attend to."

Karen sneered at her, stepping forward and aggressively gesturing to her. "If you want to leave, then you know what to do. Strip down and change into the damn prison clothes. Then my knights will cuff you again and I'll escort you to the meeting personally," she said, glaring directly at Yuri.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Yuri sneered at her then gave in to her demands. She looked to Koko who was following her lead and gave a nod. The two of them then began to remove their belongings and put them on the tables beside them in an orderly fashion. After that, they stripped down until they were bare then slipped into the prison garb laid out for them. As she was watching, Karen sneered at Yuri under her breath after seeing that she had bigger breasts than her even though Yuri was younger than she was. Once Yuri and Koko were dressed in their new outfits, the manacles were placed back on their wrists. Karen then dismissed her knights once more before leading Yuri and Koko up into the castle proper.

The three of them walked through the castle corridors until they were brought to a large room with a table situated in the center. Around the table were several chairs which were all vacant. Karen had Yuri and Koko sit down at one end while she left to go get Arin. While they waited, Yuri and Koko chatted amongst themselves.

"I can see why you don't like this cousin of yours," said Koko as she sat beside Yuri. "But what was that about her having black teeth?"

Yuri chuckled, remembering what she and Arin did to her long ago. "It was only supposed to be a simple prank. I dared Arin to put ink in Karen's tea, and when she drank it, it dyed her teeth black for a month, I guess," she said.

"Hmm. Something tells me she may not have forgotten that," said Koko as she looked herself over while also raising her manacled wrists.

"Yeah, sorry about that," said Yuri with a smile.

Just as Koko was about to speak, the door to the room opened as Arin and Karen entered. As the two came inside and closed the door, Arin looked to Yuri and Koko with a puzzled look.

"Okay. What in the world is this?" asked Arin as he looked to Karen who had just closed the door.

"What?" asked Karen as she stood beside him, looking to Yuri with a coy smile. "It's just Yuri and her, uh, friend."

Arin pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration before motioning to Yuri with his hand. "Why… are they wearing prison rags and bound in manacles?" he asked.

"Rags? That's kinda mean. I'd like to think our standard-issue prison garb is of much better quality than other places," said Karen as she looked to her brother. Seeing his aggravated expression, she looked back to Yuri. "What? They came through the dungeon so I couldn't just break protocol because she's our cousin now, can I?"

Arin let out an exasperated sigh and turned to Karen. "Okay, before we continue, I want you to retrieve all their belongings and clothes and bring them here," he said as he opened the door. "And not a single thing better be missing."

Karen gave him a cross expression but Arin wasn't budging in his command. She then looked to Yuri and sneered at her before leaving to get their things. Once she was gone, Arin closed the door and turned to Yuri and Koko.

"Sorry 'bout that. Guess she hasn't changed much, has she?" said Arin.

"It's nothing I can't handle. She's just upset about the tea thing," said Yuri as she stood up to greet her cousin. She walked over to him and gave him a hug, though her wrists were still cuffed together which made it a bit awkward.

After giving her a hug, Arin looked over to Koko. "And who's this you have with you?" he asked, giving her a welcoming smile.

Koko flinched then promptly stood up, never having met royalty before. "Oh, um! Me? Koko! I'm Koko," she said as she hurried over to shake his hand. She stood beside Yuri and gave his hand a firm shake, slightly bowing her head as she was completely flustered and unprepared for such a casual interaction with a king.

"Koko is it? And who are you to my dear cousin? A friend?" asked Arin after shaking Koko's hand.

As Koko choked on her words, Yuri came to her rescue and placed a hand on her shoulder. "She's actually my girlfriend," said Yuri, giving Koko a calming smile.

Just then, the door opened as Karen and Marianne came in, carrying Yuri's and Koko's belongings in two separate boxes. Karen just barged in while Marianne politely excused herself in the presence of the king. After dropping off the boxes, Arin shooed Karen and her subordinate out as he followed after them, allowing Yuri and Koko to change back into their normal clothes in peace. Before leaving, Marianne unlocked the manacles on their wrists then left the room with Arin and Karen.

Once they had the room to themselves, Yuri let out an embarrassed sigh. "I'm sorry your initial visit to Gilderland has been… odd at best," she said as she began changing back into her previous outfit.

Koko smiled as she set aside the prison garb and began getting dressed in her own clothes. "It's not so bad. It only gets better from here, right?" she said. "By the way, did you happen to catch Karen's scowl as she watched you change into the prison clothes?"

"She what? Why was she watching me change? Weird," said Yuri as she looked to Koko.

"Maybe she was just jealous of how much you've grown? You did say you haven't seen her in a long time, so maybe she was just jealous of your… um, chest? Even though she was wearing armor, I could tell she wasn't packing much," said Koko.

"My chest? Oh, you mean… these?" said Yuri as she caressed her breasts in her hands, giving Koko a sultry look.

Koko blushed as she looked away, focusing on getting changed before Arin and Karen came back. After they were done getting changed, Yuri knocked on the door to signal that they were done. They then sat back down in their spots at the table as Arin and Karen entered back into the room, sitting across from them. Arin had a smile on his face while Karen had cooled off somewhat during the wait.

"All right, down to business," said Arin after sitting down. "I read your letter. So it seems you want to come back home and- Um, before we continue, I assume Koko here knows everything about you as well?"

"Yeah. She's privy to everything so don't worry about that," said Yuri.

Arin cleared his throat and continued on. "Very good. So, you're planning to relocate to Gilderland? Is this a temporary thing or something more permanent?" he asked.

Yuri looked to Koko then to Arin. "Hopefully permanently. Koko and I are looking to settle down somewhere, so I figured why not here? You did say I'd always have a place to call home if I ever wanted to return, right?" she said.

"That I did," said Arin as he recalled their meeting after his coronation. He then took out a stack of papers from a bag on the floor and placed them on the table. "And I think I already have something picked out that you might like."

Arin then showed Yuri and Koko a map of the capital and the surrounding area. He had his people do some scouting and found a perfect spot in the countryside for their new home. There were a couple of acres of land situated on top of a hill that was unoccupied and in a prime location. It was far enough away from the city to offer a fair amount of privacy, but not too much so to become a hassle to get to and from the city and the property. Arin saw that Yuri and Koko were skeptical, so he took out another piece of paper with a close up of the property. He had his civil engineers draw up some plans of what the property would look like using Yuri's input from the letter. Of course, it was just a generic blueprint and Yuri and Koko could personalize it more at a later time, but Arin just wanted to give them a visualization of what it would all look like on the property.

As Yuri and Koko took the piece of paper from him to look over, they were immediately amazed. The property had a main house the size of a small mansion with two stories, a basement, and an attic. Next to it, there was a modest, one-story guesthouse and across from it was a small swimming lap-pool, which Yuri specifically said in her letter that she wanted; it was a surprise for Koko. In the middle between it all was a large fountain that seemed to have a bronze fox statue in the center of it. The main estate was walled off with a brick perimeter wall and secured by a single iron gate at the front. Even though the blueprints were lacking details in order to allow for customization later on, Yuri and Koko were thoroughly impressed so far.

After looking the papers over, Yuri glanced over to Arin with a regretful expression. "This is amazing but- I don't think we'll be able to afford all this. I told you our budget in the letter and figured we'd only be able to afford maybe- a small house in the commoner district or something," she said.

Arin just gave her a smile and said, "Nonsense. Think of this as a gift, one fit for royalty."

"A gift?" asked Yuri.

Arin nodded. "Indeed. Without your help, I wouldn't have been able to claim the crown… even if it was by less than ideal circumstances. But regardless, I owe you a great amount of debt and also wanted to apologize for what happened to you and your parents," he said.

Yuri shook her head. "It's okay, Arin. It wasn't as if it was your fault that it happened. It was our uncle's fault and he paid the price for it. I made damn sure of that," she said.

"Even so, it was a travesty what happened to you and we all thought you were dead. This is the least the kingdom and I can do to make up for all the pain and suffering you had to endure over the years. This way, you can hopefully live comfortably and happily like you were supposed to," said Arin.

"So, we won't have to pay for anything?" asked Koko who was growing more enthusiastic by the second. Yuri then gave her a sharp look and elbowed her in the arm, not wanting her to take the gift so eagerly.

"Certainly. The property, house, and all the furnishings will be free of charge, courtesy of the people of Gilderland who still mourn your parents' death. You'll also be given tax-exempt status as well," said Arin.

"Are you sure that's okay? I mean, I don't want the people to suffer in the slightest if they're paying for all this," said Yuri.

"The kingdom is prospering, no thanks to you. Arin has done a fine job of running it in your stead," said Karen as she crossed her arms.

Arin gave his sister an annoyed glance then looked to Yuri. "I would've phrased it a bit more delicately, but she's right. The kingdom has never been more financially secure. The royal bank can more than afford it all without it impacting the people," he said. "Oh, and what do you two plan on doing regarding work?"

Yuri and Koko exchanged clueless looks then shrugged. "Haven't really thought about that yet," said Yuri.

Arin smirked as he took note of that on a piece of paper. "In that case, you will each be given a monthly stipend to spend at your leisure. I haven't decided on the amount, but it should be more than enough to cover whatever it is you need. That way, you don't have to worry about working another day in your life, that is, if you don't want to. I can't force you to take it easy, but I could rest easier knowing my cousin wasn't endangering herself by continuing on as an assassin," he said.

Yuri could hardly believe the news. "That's- That's so generous of you! I mean, if we can, Koko and I could help out around the castle. Right, Koko?" asked Yuri as she looked to her.

"Um, sure. If you need someone to swing a sword, I guess I can help," said Koko, unsure of how she could be of service to the Kingdom of Gilderland.

"Duly noted," said Arin. "Now, I've already had workers begin prepping the site for construction, but if you want to add some input, I can get you in contact with the project manager. He's the one you want to talk to about adding specifics to the blueprints. But all that can wait, if you'd prefer. It'll take a few more days before they're even ready to begin construction. In the meantime, let's get you checked in to the hotel where you'll be staying until the construction is complete. You two must've had a long journey to get here, so I'll give you some time to relax before continuing with this venture. Karen will escort you to the Grand Marquis Hotel and take care of everything." Arin then stood up and looked to his sister. "You will take care of them, right? No more funny business," he said, looking her in the eye.

Karen rolled her eyes and stood up as well. "Yes, of course. I'll take care of them," she said with a reluctant tone.

"Good," said Arin as he turned to Yuri and Koko, giving them a slight bow. "Until next time, ladies. If you ever need anything else, just let Karen know and I will attend to it as soon as I can." He then opened the door and left to return to his kingly duties, leaving Yuri and Koko alone with Karen.

"All right, you two. Let's get going. I don't intend to spend the rest of my day pampering to your every whim," said Karen as she held the door open. "This way, _your majesty_."

Yuri ignored Karen's sarcasm and got up, making her way out of the room along with Koko. Karen then led them out of the castle back through the dungeon and into the city. After a short walk through the more affluent part of the city, they arrived at the Grand Marquis Hotel, the best hotel within the kingdom. Karen chauffeured them inside and approached the front desk to check them in. She talked with the attendant there and told her that Yuri and Koko were royal guests. They were to be treated as such, so the hotel offered them the best suite they had available. Karen told them that the crown would take care of the bill then turned back to Yuri and Koko.

"Okay, it's all taken care of. Just don't get into any trouble, all right? If you need anything, just find one of my knights," said Karen as she began to walk away.

Before she got too far away, Yuri called out to her, "Hey, Kar- Er, Lady Karen."

Karen stopped midway to the exit then turned around. "What?" she asked through gritted teeth.

Yuri let out a sigh then turned fully towards her. "I'm really sorry about the whole ink thing," she said as sincerely as she could.

Karen just looked at her then turned back around, leaving the hotel and heading outside.

Koko walked up beside Yuri and placed a hand on her shoulder. "She'll be fine. I'm sure she appreciates the apology, even though it came a few years too late. But still. Better late than never," she said.

"I suppose," said Yuri as she went back over to the front desk.

When Yuri retrieved their room key, the attendant also let them know that all the hotel's services were at their disposal, meaning they had unlimited room service. Yuri gave her a polite smile and thanked her for the hospitality. She then went with Koko upstairs to unwind after a long day of traveling and abnormal reunions. When they arrived in front of their room, Yuri unlocked the door using the key the attendant gave her and stepped inside.

Immediately upon entering, Yuri and Koko were taken aback by how lavish everything inside was. They started to wander around, looking at the room's décor and the elegant furniture that populated its interior. Everything from the tables and chairs to the king-sized bed were expertly crafted with high-quality materials and sophistically decorated. Even though Yuri had briefly lived a life as royalty, she was still amazed by the luxurious amenities surrounding her in the room. She found an empty chair and took off her backpack, setting it there along with her sword and satchel. Koko continued into the bedroom and set her things down on a bench there, giving the bed a keen look.

"This is pretty amazing, isn't it?" asked Yuri as she made her way into the bedroom, coming up behind Koko.

"Simply spectacular. I can't thank you enough for setting all this up and working with your cousins to make it all possible. I never would have guessed this could be possible for us," said Koko as she turned to Yuri.

Yuri smiled then gave Koko a hug, holding her close. "I'm just glad we can be together," she said, relieved that they were in Gilderland. She was also thankful she no longer had to hide her past from Koko, removing a significant weight from her shoulders. "I love you, Koko."

The simple yet powerful phrase tugged strongly at Koko's heartstrings as she then wrapped her arms around Yuri as well. "I love you too," she said.


End file.
